Show ContentsLanford History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Lanford family

The surname Lanford was first found in Buckinghamshire. They claim descent as a tenant of the lands of Lynford, held by Stanard, a Norman noble, from Roger Bigod who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. 1

Today, Linford Manor is an old manor house that has been converted into a recording studio complex in Great Linford, Milton Keynes, England. Little Linford is a village in the county of Buckinghamshire, England. The name literally means 'ford where maple trees grow' derived from the Old English hlyn + ford 2 The Hampshire Linford was the Anglo-Saxon Lindford. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1272 revealed the first record of the family, specifically Roger de Lynford, Buckinghamshire. 4

Early History of the Lanford family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lanford research. Another 74 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1202, 1273, 1650, 1666, 1670, 1671, 1674, 1675, 1676, 1685, 1689, 1700, 1709 and 1724 are included under the topic Early Lanford History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lanford Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Lynford, Linford, Linforth, Lynforth, Linfoot, Lynfoot, Lindford, Lyndford, Lindforth, Lyndforth, Lineford, Lyneford, Lineforth, Linefoot, Lenforth and many more.

Early Notables of the Lanford family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Thomas Lynford or Linford (1650-1724), English divine, son of Samuel Lynford of Cambridge, where he was born in 1650. He "was educated at Newark and Bury St. Edmunds, and admitted as a sizar at Christ's College, Cambridge, 16 July 1666. He is described in the admission book as ‘optimæ spei juvenis.’ He graduated B.A. in 1670-1671, and proceeded M.A. in 1674, and S.T.P. in 1689, being also incorporated M.A. of Oxford on 11 July 1676. He was elected fellow of Christ's in 1675, and was also tutor from 1676 to 1685. He gave...
Another 108 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lanford Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lanford Ranking

In the United States, the name Lanford is the 13,236th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5


Lanford migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lanford Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Thomas Lanford, aged 20, who arrived in Maryland in 1684 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Lanford (post 1700) +

  • Lew Lanford (1886-1970), American professional baseball player
  • T. B. Lanford, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Louisiana, 1956 7
  • Norman Lanford, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Judge of Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, 1994, 1996 7
  • Emma Lanford, British singer
  • Lanford Wilson (b. 1937), American playwright awarded the 1980 Pulitzer Prize for Drama


  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  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)
  5. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  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)
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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