| ![Show Contents]() Woffard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
England
Etymology of WoffardWhat does the name Woffard mean? The origins of the Woffard name come from when the Anglo-Saxon tribes ruled over Britain. The name Woffard was originally derived from a family having lived in one of the settlements called Walford in Dorset, Herefordshire, or Shropshire, or in Walford Hall in Warwickshire. 1 "The Somerset Walford occurs as Weala-ford in a charter dated A.D. 682 while the Herefordshire place is Walforde in Domesday Book, and the Shropshire township Waleford and Waliforde in Domesday Book." 2 Another source notes the Herefordshire and Worcestershire place names were recorded as Walorecford in the Domesday Book of 1086. 3 As far as the etymology of the place names are concerned, one source claims the place names mean "Briton ford," 4 while another claims the place names mean "the Welshmen’s Ford [Old English Weála, genit. pl. of Weal(h, a Welshman + ford]". 2 Early Origins of the Woffard familyThe surname Woffard was first found in Warwickshire where William de Waleford listed in the Assize Rolls of 1221. Over in Gloucestershire, Henry de Walford was listed there in 1279 and in Somerset, Gilbert Walford was listed there in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327. 5 Ricardus de Walleford was listed in the Charter Rolls for Shropshire (Salop), 1316-1317. 2 Early History of the Woffard familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Woffard research. Another 138 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1572, 1663, 1672, 1752, 1756, 1777, 1778, 1787, 1797, 1823, 1833, 1855 and 1897 are included under the topic Early Woffard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Woffard Spelling VariationsBefore English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Woffard include Walford, Wallford and others. Early Notables of the Woffard familyThomas Walford (1752-1833) was an English antiquary. Born on 14 September 1752, he was the only son of Thomas Walford (d. 1756) of Whitley, near Birdbrook in Essex. He was an officer in the Essex militia in 1777, and was appointed deputy lieutenant of the county in 1778. In March 1797 he was nominated captain in the provisional cavalry, and in May following was gazetted major. Walford died at Whitley on...
Another 71 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Woffard Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Woffard familyA great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: Thomas and Jeremiah Walford who settled in Charles Town Massachusetts in 1630; Muse Walford settled in Barbados with his wife, four children, and servants, in 1678.
| Contemporary Notables of the name Woffard (post 1700) | + |
- Qionna Woffard, American producer, best known for High Score (2019)
- Irvin Woffard, American actor, best known for his role as Pete Smith in Red Blood and Blue (1924)
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: Nosce teipsum
Motto Translation: Know thyself.
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. 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)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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