Ratford History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Ratford

What does the name Ratford mean?

The name Ratford belongs to the early history of Britain, it's origins lie with the Anglo-Saxons. It is a product of their having lived beside a marsh or reedy ford. Ratford is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Ratford family

The surname Ratford was first found in Devon where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Ratford family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ratford research. Another 64 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1561 and 1630 are included under the topic Early Ratford History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ratford Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Ratford include Radford, Ratford and others.

Early Notables of the Ratford family

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

Ratford migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Ratford were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Ratford Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Eleanor Ratford, who settled in Virginia in 1635
Francis Ratford, aged 20, who landed in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Primrose" 1
John Ratford, who arrived in Maryland in 1677 1

Ratford Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

William Ratford, who arrived in Virginia in 1703 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Ratford (post 1700) +

Sir David John Edward Ratford KCMG CVO (1934-2025), British diplomat and translator, completed his national service in the Intelligence Corps (1953-1955)

Sources +

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)