Show ContentsMugford History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Mugford is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Mugford family lived in Mogford, Somerset. The parish no longer exists.

Early Origins of the Mugford family

The surname Mugford was first found in Somerset where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Farrington Gurney. Conjecturally they are descended from Azelin who held this manor from the Bishop of Coutances at the time of the taking of the Domesday Book survey in 1086 A.D.

Early History of the Mugford family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mugford research. Another 55 words (4 lines of text) covering the year 1700 is included under the topic Early Mugford History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mugford Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval 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. The name has been spelled Moggs, Muggs, Muckford, Muckeford, Muckeforde, Muckforde, Moggeford, Mucksford, Mucksworth, Mucksworthy, Mugford, Mugglesworth, Mogford, Mogworthy, Mogsworthy and many more.

Early Notables of the Mugford family

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

Mugford Ranking

In Newfoundland, Canada, the name Mugford is the 250th most popular surname with an estimated 175 people with that name. 1


United States Mugford migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Mugford or a variant listed above:

Mugford Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Alfred Mugford, aged 32, who landed in America from Liverpool, in 1907
  • Mary E. Mugford, aged 35, who immigrated to the United States from Weston, England, in 1907
  • Richard Mugford, aged 30, who settled in America from Weston, England, in 1907
  • Allie Mugford, aged 22, who settled in America from St. John's, Newfoundland in 1909
  • Daniel John Mugford, aged 20, who landed in America from Boscastle, England, in 1911
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Mugford migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Mugford Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
  • John Mugford, who settled in Port de Grave, Newfoundland in 1784 but the property had been in the family since 1680 2
Mugford Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • William Mugford, who settled in Conception Bay, Newfoundland in 1706 2
Mugford Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century
  • Ethel Mugford, aged 23, who settled in St. John's, Newfoundland, in 1915
  • Blanche Mugford, aged 20, who settled in North Sydney, Nova Scotia, in 1916

Australia Mugford migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Mugford Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss Sarah Mugford, British Convict who was convicted in Devon, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Earl Cornwallis" in August 1800, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 3
  • William Mugford, aged 29, a farm servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1851 aboard the ship "Omega" 4
  • Charles G. Mugford, aged 24, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Lord Hungerford"
  • Miss Elizabeth Mugford, (b.1837), aged 20, Cornish schoolmistress departing from Plymouth on 29th September 1856 aboard the ship "Thomas Arbuthnot" arriving in Geelong, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 23rd January 1857 5
  • Miss J. Mugford, (b.1856), aged Infant, Cornish settler born aboard the ship "Thomas Arbuthnot" arriving in Geelong, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 23rd January 1857 5
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Mugford (post 1700) +

  • James E. Mugford, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania 4th District, 1976 6
  • James Mugford (1749-1776), American captain in the U.S. Continental Navy, eponym of the USS Mugford (DD-105) and the USS Mugford (DD-389)
  • Harold Sandford Mugford (1894-1958), English recipient of the Victoria Cross for his actions in World War I


The Mugford Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Cura pii diis sunt
Motto Translation: Pious men are a care to the gods.


  1. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  2. Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-cornwallis
  4. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) OMEGA 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Omega.htm
  5. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_victoria.pdf
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 27) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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