Show ContentsGarford History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Garford comes from an old Yorkshire place name, which is in turn derived fro the Old English elements "gara," which denoted a triangular piece of ground, and "ford," meaning a crossing place through shallow water.

Early Origins of the Garford family

The surname Garford 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 13th century when they held estates in that shire and held a family seat at Sleeton.

Early History of the Garford family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Garford research. Another 137 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1444, 1455, 1487, 1510 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Garford History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Garford Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Garford include Garforth, Garford, Garforde, Garforthe and others.

Early Notables of the Garford family

More information is included under the topic Early Garford Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Garford migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Garford or a variant listed above:

Garford Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Gervais Garford, who arrived in Salem, MA between the years 1620-1650
  • Richard Garford, who settled in Maryland in 1651
  • Nathaniel] Garford, who arrived in Virginia in 1665 1
  • George Garford, who landed in Maryland in 1678 1
Garford Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Ruth Garford, who landed in Virginia in 1714 1
  • Ruth Garford, who settled in Virginia Year in 1714
Garford Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • G. Garford, aged 11, who settled in America from Liverpool, in 1892
  • Sarah Garford, aged 24, who immigrated to the United States from Dover, in 1892
Garford Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Arthur Lovell Garford, who landed in America, in 1903
  • Mary N. Garford, who landed in America, in 1905
  • Arthur Garford, who immigrated to America, in 1905
  • Frederich Garford, aged 24, who immigrated to the United States from Ireland, in 1910
  • Frederick Garford, aged 24, who landed in America from Nautwich, England, in 1910

Contemporary Notables of the name Garford (post 1700) +

  • Arthur Lovett Garford (1858-1933), American industrialist, inventor and politician, founder of the Garford Manufacturing Company in Elyria (1892), which later produced the Studebaker-Garford automobile
  • Arthur L. Garford, American politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Ohio, 1908, 1912, 1924, 1928; Progressive Candidate for Governor of Ohio, 1912; Progressive Candidate for U.S. Senator from Ohio, 1914 2


  1. 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)
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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