Shuford History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Shuford

What does the name Shuford mean?

The Anglo-Saxon name Shuford comes from the family having resided in the town of Sheffield in the West Riding of Yorkshire. 1 The surname Shuford is a habitation name which was originally derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. In this case the place-name Sheffield means open land by the River Sheaf, 2 a boundary river dividing Yorkshire from Derbyshire. 3

The place name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was originally recorded as Scafeld. 4

Early Origins of the Shuford family

The surname Shuford was first found in Staffordshire where William de Shefeld was listed in the Assize Rolls of 1227. Years later, Thomas de Sheffeld was found in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1328 and in Oxfordshire, Ralph Sheffeld was recorded at Goring in 1456. 1

Back in Yorkshire, early records there show Will'us de Sheffeld in the Charter Rolls of 1307-1308. 2 Later, Johannes de Schefeld was recorded in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 5

Early History of the Shuford family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shuford research. Another 120 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1150, 1407, 1421, 1521, 1538, 1549, 1564, 1568, 1588, 1601, 1611, 1614, 1624, 1626, 1646, 1648, 1658, 1685, 1689, 1702, 1705 and 1721 are included under the topic Early Shuford History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shuford Spelling Variations

Shuford has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Spelling variants included: Sheffield, Shefield, Sheffeild, Shiffield and many more.

Early Notables of the Shuford family

William Sheffield (fl. 1407-1421) English politician, Member of Parliament for Rutland; William Sheffield (died 1646), Member of Parliament for Hedon in 1614 and Thirsk in 1624; Edmund Sheffield (1521-1549), English nobleman, 1st Baron Sheffield of Butterwick; John Sheffield (c. 1538-1568), 2nd Baron Sheffield of Butterwick; Edmund Sheffield, 3rd Baron Sheffield (c. 1564-1646), created Earl...
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Shuford Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shuford Ranking

the United States, the name Shuford is the 12,323^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Shuford family

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Shufords to arrive on North American shores: Edmund, William, and Ichabod Sheffield settled in Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 1630; Thomas Sheffield and his wife, Rachel, settled in Virginia in 1622.

Contemporary Notables of the name Shuford (post 1700) +

Reginald "Reggie" T. Shuford, American Philadelphia-based lawyer and executive director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania
Jacob Lawrence Shuford (b. 1952), American Naval officer, Rear Admiral of the United States Navy; he served on the staffs of the Chief of Naval Operations, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Secretary of the Navy, coordinated Navy legislative activities in the United States Senate, and his final assignment as President of the Naval War College
George Adams Shuford (1895-1962), American politician, U.S. Representative from North Carolina (1953-1959)
Alonzo Craig Shuford (1858-1933), American politician, U.S. Representative from North Carolina (1895-1899)
William Shuford Self (1906-1998), American organist and choirmaster
Shuford Kirk (1907-2003), American Republican politician, Chair of Tuscola County Republican Party, 1958-62; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan, 1960 7

The Shuford 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: Comiter sed fortiter
Motto Translation: Courteously but firmly.

Sources +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. 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)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 27) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html