Show ContentsHeffard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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  • England
Heffard Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Heffard

What does the name Heffard mean?

Heffard is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Heffard 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 Heffard family

The surname Heffard 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 Heffard family

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

Heffard Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Heffard has been recorded under many different variations, including Hereford, Herford, Herreford and others.

Early Notables of the Heffard family

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

Heffard migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Heffard Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Heffard, (b. 1844), aged 21, British farm labourer travelling from London aboard the ship "Eastern Empire" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 4th January 1865 7
  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  5. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  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.
  7. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html

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