Swafford History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Swafford family

The surname Swafford was first found in Norfolk at Swaffield, a parish, in the Tunstead and Happing incorporation, hundred of Tunstead. 1

Anciently known as Suafelda in the Domesday Book, 2 by c. 1150, it was known as Suathefeld. 3

Conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the village and lands of Swafiled, Ranulf, brother of Liger, and Norman noble, who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086.

Early History of the Swafford family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Swafford research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1201, 1350 and 1406 are included under the topic Early Swafford History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Swafford Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Swaffield, Swafeild, Swafiled, Swafield and others.

Early Notables of the Swafford family

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

Swafford Ranking

In the United States, the name Swafford is the 2,787^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 4

Swafford migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Swafford Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

J W Swafford, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 5
Mary Swafford, aged 33 who immigrated to the United States in 1895

Swafford migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Swafford Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

William Swafford, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840

Contemporary Notables of the name Swafford (post 1700) +

Billie Swafford (b. 1975), American professional baseball player
Jan Swafford (b. 1946), American composer and author who teaches composition, theory, and musicology
Amanda Lynn Swafford (b. 1978), American fashion model and television personality
Thomas J. R. Swafford (d. 1884), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Tennessee State Senate, 1884 6
John Swafford, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Tennessee, 2008 6
James M. Swafford, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Texas 14th District, 1948 6
Joel Swafford (b. 1963), British professional footballer

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html