Sommerfeild History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe history of the Sommerfeild family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in the small English town of Somerford found in the county of Wiltshire. Early Origins of the Sommerfeild familyThe surname Sommerfeild was first found in Wiltshire where there is a Great Somerford and Little Somerford. Both date back to 937 when they were listed simply as Sumerford. By the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, the village was listed as Sumreford. The placename literally means "ford usable in the summer," from the Old English sumor + ford. 1 Somerford Keynes is located in Gloucestershire and that locale dates back further to 685 when it was listed as Sumerford. Early History of the Sommerfeild familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sommerfeild research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sommerfeild History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Sommerfeild Spelling VariationsUntil quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Sommerfeild include Somerford, Somerfield and others. Early Notables of the Sommerfeild familyMore information is included under the topic Early Sommerfeild Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Sommerfeild familySearching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled 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 ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Sommerfeild or a variant listed above: Geoffrey Somerford who settled in Virginia in 1654.
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