Handforth History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon name Handforth comes from when the family resided in the township of Handforth, in the parish of Cheadle in the county of Cheshire.

Early Origins of the Handforth family

The surname Handforth was first found in Cheshire at Handforth. "The manor, as early as the reign of Henry III., was in the family of Handford, from whom, with the manor of Bosden, it passed to the Breretons, and subsequently to the Booths." 1

Handford, or Hanford is a parish in the union of Stone, in the hundred of Pirehill in Staffordshire. 1

Of the two, we know that Handforth, Cheshire dates back to the 12th century when it was first known as Haneford and it literally meant "ford frequented by cocks (wild birds)" or "ford at the stones (used as markers)" from the Old English words "hanna" + "ford." 2

As far as early records of the family, we found John de Honford (Handforth) was first listed in Earwaker's History East Cheshire in 1370. The same sources notes Thomas de Honford was listed there in 1398. 3

Handforth Hall is a former manor house in Handforth, Cheshire dating back to 1562 having been built for Sir Urian Brereton.

Early History of the Handforth family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Handforth research. Another 138 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1230, 1325, 1565, 1598, 1635, 1638 and 1784 are included under the topic Early Handforth History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Handforth 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 Handforth include Handford, Hanford, Handforth and others.

Early Notables of the Handforth family

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

Handforth migration to the United States +

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:

Handforth Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Nathaniel Handforth, who arrived in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1637 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Handforth (post 1700) +

Thomas Scofield Handforth (1897-1948), American artist and etcher, known for writing and illustrating the children's picture book Mei Li, which won him the 1939 Caldecott Medal for illustration
Paul Handforth (b. 1981), English rugby league player from Wakefield, West Yorkshire who was in the Ireland training squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)