Uferd History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Uferd is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived in either of the settlements called Ufford in the counties of Northamptonshire and Suffolk. The surname Uferd belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Uferd family

The surname Uferd was first found in Suffolk at Ufford, a parish, in the union of Woodbridge, hundred of Wilford. 1 Ufford is also a civil parish in the city of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. Both parishes are ancient. The Cambridgeshire parish dates back to Saxon times when it was first listed as Uffawyrtha in 948. The Suffolk parish dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was listed as Uffeworda. 2

Both essentially mean "enclosure of a man called Uffa," from the Old English personal name + "worth." 3

"Of this family, which afterwards arrived to great honour, Robert, a younger son of John de Peyton, of Peyton in the county of Suffolk, assumed his surname from the lordship of Ufford, in that shire, became Robert de Ufford. His son was summoned to Parliament as a Baron in 1308, and his grandson, also a Robert de Ufford, was created Earl of Suffolk. " 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 may confirm this claim as Robert de Ufford was listed in Suffolk at that time. 5 Later the Feet of Fines listed Thomas Ufford in Essex in 1391. 6

One source has interesting note about the family: "Robert de Ufford (d. 1298), was the founder of the greatness of the family. A younger son of a Suffolk landowner, John de Peyton, Robert assumed his surname from his lordship of Ufford in Suffolk, and attended Edward I on his crusade. Between 1276 and 1281 he acted as Justice of Ireland. He was instructed by Edward I to introduce English laws into Ireland, and practised skilfully but unscrupulously the policy of sowing dissension among the different Irish septs. He also built the castle of Roscommon 'at countless cost.' " 7

Robert de Ufford (1298-1369) the first Earl of Suffolk was Robert's grandson and the second but eldest surviving son and heir of Robert de Ufford (1279-1316.)

William de Ufford (1339?-1382), second Earl of Suffolk was the second but eldest surviving son of Robert de Ufford, first Earl of Suffolk. 7

Early History of the Uferd family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Uferd research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1308, 1345, 1346, 1349, 1404, 1413, 1582 and 1631 are included under the topic Early Uferd History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Uferd Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Uferd are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Uferd include: Ufford, Ufforde, Hawford, Hoffard and others.

Early Notables of the Uferd family

Notables of the family at this time include Maud de Ufford, Countess of Oxford (1345/1346-1413), a wealthy English noblewoman and the wife of Thomas de Vere, 8th Earl of Oxford, only child was Robert de Vere, 9th Earl of Oxford, the favourite of King Richard II of England, took part in a conspiracy against King Henry IV of England and was sent to the Tower of London...
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Uferd Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Uferd family

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Uferd or a variant listed above: Isabel Ufford, who settled in Boston in 1632; along with John, Thomas; John Ufford settled in Barbados in 1680.

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)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print