Gaffer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Gaffer family

The surname Gaffer was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the year 1379 when Jacobus Gaffer held lands.

Early History of the Gaffer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gaffer research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Gaffer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gaffer Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Gaffer has been recorded under many different variations, including Gaff, Gaffer, Gafer, Gafare and others.

Early Notables of the Gaffer family

the Gaffer family of Yorshire

Gaffer migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Gaffer or a variant listed above:

Gaffer Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Gaffer, who landed in Virginia in 1663 1

Gaffer Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Francoise Gaffer, who arrived in Louisiana in 1719 1

Gaffer migration to Canada +

Gaffer Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

John Gaffer, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1749

Sources +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)