Kingforde History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England

Etymology of Kingforde

The Kingforde history begins in Cornwall, a rugged coastal region in southwestern England. Quite distinct from Devon, the adjoining county, Cornwall had its own spoken language until the late 18th century. The Kingforde history began here. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames were derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. Unlike most Celtic peoples, who favored patronymic names, the Cornish predominantly used local surnames. The Kingforde family originally lived in Devon, at the village of Kingsford.

Early Origins of the Kingforde family

Early History of the Kingforde family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kingforde research. Another 125 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1273, 1372, 1746, 1751, 1846 and 1888 are included under the topic Early Kingforde History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kingforde Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Kingsford, Kingford, Kingforde, Kingsforde and others.

Early Notables of the Kingforde family

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

Migration of the Kingforde family

In the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Kingforde Nicholas Kingsford, who sailed to Virginia in 1641 and Philip Kingsford to Maryland in 1775.