Lifithy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the bearers of the Lifithy family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in the chapelry of Lyford found in the parish of West Hannay in the county of Berkshire. 1

The place name dates back to Saxon times when in 944, it was first known as Linforda and literally meant "ford where flax grows," from the Old English "lin" + "ford." 2 By the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, it was known as Linford. 3 At that time, Lyford was in Oxfordshire.

One noted source has this interesting passage about the origin of the name: "This name greatly puzzled me, till I bethought myself of looking it out in Holinshed in connection with Osevile. There I found the latter succeeding Olifant—the modernized form of Olifard: and I think we may therefore reasonably conclude that the first letter has been accidentally left out, and that the name should stand 'Olifard.' " 4

Early Origins of the Lifithy family

The surname Lifithy was first found in Berkshire, at Lyford. It should be noted that as this place name was originally in Oxfordshire, that it should come as no surprise that Oxfordshire is where the first record of the family, specifically John de Lyford who was found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. 5

Later, "Thomas Lyford was a Berkshire gentleman living in the reign of Henry VI." 6

Early History of the Lifithy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lifithy research. Another 65 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1580, 1597, 1602, 1624 and 1634 are included under the topic Early Lifithy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lifithy Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Lifithy include Lyford, Liford and others.

Early Notables of the Lifithy family

Notables of this surname at this time include: The Reverend John Lyford (c. 1580-1634) the first ordained minister to arrive at the Plymouth Colony, America. After graduation for the University of Oxford in 1597 and in 1602, he was a pastor at Leverlegkish, near Laughgaid, Armagh, Ireland. Years later, he emigrated to the Plymouth Colony in 1624 aboard the ship Charity. He pretended to be sympathetic to the Separatist movement, but in reality he was allied with the Church of England.His secret purpose was discovered through an interception of letters being sent to England. Governor William Bradford...
Another 97 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lifithy Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Lifithy family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Lifithy or a variant listed above: Anne, John, Martha, Mordecai, Obediah, Ruth, and Sarah Lyford, who all arrived at Plymouth Massachusetts in 1624; as well as William Lyford, who settled in Virginia in 1739..

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)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.