Show ContentsGainfearde History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Gainfearde

What does the name Gainfearde mean?

The origins of the Gainfearde name come from when the Anglo-Saxon tribes ruled over Britain. The name Gainfearde was originally derived from a family having lived in the region of Gaye which was located in France. 1 The surname Gainfearde was also a nickname which described someone with a happy or light spirited character.

Gainford in Durham, England is an old Saxon village known as Geg(e)nforda c. 1040, and literally meant "direct ford," ie. 'ford on a direct route,' from the Old English "gegn" + "ford." 2 Gainford, a hamlet in Alberta, Canada takes its name from this place.

Early Origins of the Gainfearde family

The surname Gainfearde was first found in Durham at Gainford, a parish, in the unions of Teesdale, Darlington, and Auckland. "This place was anciently a seigniory detached from the palatinate jurisdiction of the county, and invested with several valuable privileges and immunities. It appears to have been indebted for its origin to Egfrid, Bishop of Lindisfarne, who founded a church, which in 830 he gave to the see, together with the lands annexed to it, and which continued to form part of the episcopal possessions till the commencement of the 11th century." 3

Early History of the Gainfearde family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gainfearde research. Another 115 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1599, 1601, 1610 and 1624 are included under the topic Early Gainfearde History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gainfearde Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Gainfearde include Gainsford, Gaynesford, Gainford, Gaynsford, Ganesford and many more.

Early Notables of the Gainfearde family

Distinguished members of the family include Thomas Gainsford (d. 1624?), English author who belonged to the Surrey family of Gainsford. "He with Edward Stene apparently purchased of the crown Alne manor, Warwickshire, and a cottage in Stutton, Yorkshire, 27 Nov. 1599. He is known to have served in Ireland under Richard...
Another 51 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gainfearde Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Gainfearde family

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: Mathias Gainsford who settled in Maryland in 1774 and Arthur Gainsford, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1876.



  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.


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