Harriford History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Today's generation of the Harriford family bears a name that was brought to England by the migration wave that was started by the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Harriford family lived in Herefordshire, which is in west central England, between Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Shropshire and Wales. The county is known for its moderate climate, rich soil, and ancient castles. Hereford is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word Hereford which means "the Military Ford" and the Old English "here, army + ford." 1

Early Origins of the Harriford family

The surname Harriford was first found in Herefordshire where Ilbert de Hertford, de Hereforda was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086. 2 Later, Walter de Hereford was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Wales in 1158 and Richard de Herfordia was a Knights Templar in 1185. 3

"The Herefords of Sufton Court, co. Hereford, claim from Boger de Hereford, a famous philosopher of the XII. century. The town and county of Hertford are so pronounced, but there is a parish of Harford in Devonshire with which however the family do not appear to have been connected. According to Burke, "the cunabula (earliest) gent was in Bosbury, co. Hereford, in the church of which parish there are several ancient monuments of the family." 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included entries for: Warin de Hereford, Cambridgeshire; Roger de Herford, Huntingdonshire; and Walter de Herford, Cambridgeshire. 5 In Somerset, early rolls listed Margery Herford and John de Hareford, 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III) 6

Early History of the Harriford family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Harriford research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1766 is included under the topic Early Harriford History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Harriford Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Harriford were recorded, including Hereford, Herford, Herreford and others.

Early Notables of the Harriford family

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

Migration of the Harriford family

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Harriford arrived in North America very early: Peter Hereford settled in Virginia in 1623; Francis Herford settled in Philadelphia in 1683; Christian Herford arrived in Philadelphia in 1744.

Contemporary Notables of the name Harriford (post 1700) +

Tracey Harriford, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Nevada, 2008 7

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html