Show ContentsSande History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Sande

What does the name Sande mean?

Sande is one of the names that was brought to England in the wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Sande family lived in Sandford in Berkshire, Devon, Dorset, Isle of Wight, Oxfordshire, and in Shropshire. These place names come from the Old English words "sand," and "ford." However, the name also seems to have arrived with the Normans, among whom were Ralph and Richard de Sanfort, Normandy. 1

Early Origins of the Sande family

The surname Sande was first found in Shropshire at Sandford, where Thomas de Saundford, one of the "companions in arms" of William I was given lands, for his assistance. He is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. "Richard de Sanford was certainly seated at Sandford soon after the Conquest, and which has ever since remained their principal seat." 2 3

Sandford Hall, near Whitchurch survives today. This county house is thought to have been built between 1700 and 1750 and at the time of writing is up for sale. Thorpe-Salvin in the West Riding of Yorkshire was home to a branch of the family. "It was anciently the property of the Salvin family, and subsequently of the Sandfords, by whom the now ruined Hall was erected about the middle of the 16th century." 4

Another early record of the family was Fulk de Sandford (d. 1271), also called Fulk de Basset, Archbishop of Dublin, nephew of Sir Philip Basset. "There was a Richard de Sandford, a prebendary of St. Paul's in 1241, and John de Sandford, (died 1294) Archbishop of Dublin, was Fulk Sandford's brother, and is known to be illegitimate." 5

The variant Sande or Sende could have originated in Send, a parish, in the union of Guildford, Second division of the hundred of Woking in Surrey. 6 "A priory of Black canons, in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Thomas à Becket, was founded in the time of Richard I., at Newark, in the parish, by Ruald de Calva and Beatrix his wife." 4

Indeed, we found two early listings of the family with very early spellings: William de Sandes in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1205 and Walter de la Sonde in the Feet of Fines of 1248. Both were found in Surrey at the time. 7

Early History of the Sande family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sande research. Another 167 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1298, 1301, 1332, 1533, 1547, 1555, 1605, 1630, 1639, 1641, 1653, 1680, 1683, 1694 and 1701 are included under the topic Early Sande History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sande Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Sande include Sandford, Sandiford, Samford, Sanford and others.

Early Notables of the Sande family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Sandford, English owner of a woolen mill in Stonehouse, county Gloucester, and Mayor of Gloucester in 1533; Thomas Sandford, High Sheriff of Cumberland in 1547 and 1555; Thomas SandfordJohn Sanford (c. 1605-1653), English immigrant to Boston, Massachusetts from Essex, 2nd Governor of Newport and Portsmouth in 1653; and his son, Peleg Sanford (1639-1701), American 10th Governor of...
Another 66 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sande Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sande Ranking

In the United States, the name Sande is the 16,742nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 8

Migration of the Sande family to Ireland

Some of the Sande family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Sande migration to the United States +

In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Sandes to arrive on North American shores:

Sande Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Francisco Sande, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1860 9

Contemporary Notables of the name Sande (post 1700) +

  • Kermit A. Sande (b. 1943), American politician and attorney, Attorney General of South Dakota from 1973 to 1975
  • Walter Sande (1906-1971), American actor, notable for film and television roles, including Paul Revere in Walt Disney's Johnny Tremain (1957)
  • Earl Harold Sande (b. 1898), American Hall of Fame jockey and thoroughbred horse trainer who had 968 career wins including five Belmont Stakes wins and three Kentucky Derby wins; winner of the U.S. Triple Crown aboard Gallant Fox in 1930
  • Craig Sande MD, American Gastroenterologist in Reno, Nevada
  • Arne Sande (1905-1985), Danish boxer who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics
  • Jakob Sande (1906-1967), Norwegian writer, poet and folk singer
  • Daniel Sande (b. 1916), Argentine Olympic fencer at the 1948, 1952 and 1960 Summer Olympics
  • Ole-Jakob Sande (b. 1969), Norwegian ski mountaineer
  • Erling Sande (b. 1979), Norwegian politician for the Centre Party
  • Adele Emily Sandé (b. 1987), British recording artist and songwriter


The Sande 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: Nec temere nec timide
Motto Translation: Neither rashly nor timidly.


  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
  3. Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
  4. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  5. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  6. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  7. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  8. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  9. 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)


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