| ![Show Contents]() Lofft History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
In ancient Anglo-Saxon England, the ancestors of the Lofft surname lived in the village of Lofthouse during the reign of King Alfred in 900 AD. This place-name was originally derived from the Old Norse words lopt meaning loft and hus meaning house. Therefore the original bearers of the Lofft surname were dwellers of the loft house. 1 Early Origins of the Lofft familyThe surname Lofft was first found in North Yorkshire at Lofthouse, a small village in Nidderdale in the Harrogate district or at Lofthouse, a village in West Yorkshire. "This place, in the Domesday Survey Lochtushum, was granted by the Conqueror to Hugh Lupus, Earl of Chester, who soon afterwards transferred it to the Percy family, of whom William de Percy, the third Baron, in 1133 founded at Handall, in the parish, a priory for Benedictine nuns, which he dedicated to the Virgin Mary." 2 Early History of the Lofft familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lofft research. Another 68 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1573, 1605, 1619, 1620, 1639, 1647, 1691, 1695 and 1797 are included under the topic Early Lofft History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Lofft Spelling VariationsIt is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Lofft are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Lofft include: Loftus, Lofthouse, Loftis, Loftiss, Loftos and others. Early Notables of the Lofft familyAnother 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lofft Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Lofft family to Ireland
Some of the Lofft family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 81 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Lofft familyMany English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Lofft or a variant listed above: John Loftis settled in Barbados in 1634; John Lofthouse arrived in Philadelphia in 1878; John Loftus arrived in Philadelphia in 1682; Biddy and Elen Loftus arrived in Quebec in 1848.
| Contemporary Notables of the name Lofft (post 1700) | + |
- Marguerite Lofft (1889-1987), birth name of Marguerite de Angeli, an American writer and illustrator of children's books including the 1950 Newbery Award winning book The Door in the Wall
- Capell Lofft the younger (1806-1873), English writer and immigrant to America where he had a Virginia estate
- Capell Lofft (1751-1824), English writer and politician, father of Capell Lofft the younger
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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England
Ireland
