Surname Safford - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'S'
Safford: What does the surname Safford mean?
The surname Safford is of English origin and is considered a geographical or locational surname. It is believed to derive from "Seaford" which is a place located in Sussex, South-East England. Typical of many English surnames, it signified where a person originally lived or where they held land.
"Seaford" has an Old English origin, derived from the words "sae" meaning sea and "ford" referring to a shallow place in a river or stream that can be crossed by wading or driving. Therefore it referred to a point where the river could be crossed to reach the sea, indicating a town located near a sea crossing in ancient times.
Over the centuries, changes in dialects and regional accents as well as errors in early record-keeping led to various spellings of original surnames, Seaford may have become Safford.
It is important to note that specific meanings and origins may vary among families, as surnames may have been chosen or changed for many reasons and may not always have a clear or consistent origin.
Order DNA origin analysisSafford: Where does the name Safford come from?
The last name Safford is most commonly found in the United States today. During the past century, the name has been identified the most in the state of Massachusetts. Over the past two decades the most common state for the Safford name has been Massachusetts.
During the twentieth century, the Safford name has been spreading throughout the country in general. It is now commonly found in New York, Florida, Texas, California and Illinois. Records have determined that the Safford family was first established in Massachusetts where they were granted lands by King Charles II in 1639. It has been documented that the original Safford settlers Charles and William Safford settled in Massachusetts.
Since then, the name has passed down through their descendants and eventually spread throughout the United States. While the origin of the Safford name is believed to be English, there have been documented cases of Scottish, Irish, and Welsh Saffords. This is due to influxes of immigrants coming to the United States at various times.
Although the Safford name is most commonly found in the United States, there are also records of Saffords residing in other parts of the world. In the past two decades, Australia and Canada have had a small population of people with the last name Safford.
The Safford name is most likely to be found in the United States in the present day. Its historical presence in Massachusetts and its common movements throughout the country has made it one of the more frequent last names.
Variations of the surname Safford
The surname Safford is derived from an English surname and has many different variations and spellings ranging from Saford to Safore, Sahford to Shafford, Shaford to Shaforth and Spaight. Other surnames that have the same origin as Safford include Saffin, Saflin, Saful, Sapp, Schauffert, Skofield and Sophort.
Many of these surnames are ancient and trace their origins back to England and Scotland. They were most likely adopted by different branches of the same family, which established the several different variants of the same surname.
Sometimes, the variations in spelling were very slight and affected only one or two letters. This variation in spelling was often due to the ignorance of the person writing the name, the desire to Anglicize the name, or the quaint presence of different languages among the populations of England and Scotland at different times.
Safford is still a very common surname today and is part of the broad list of surnames that share the same origin. It is often found among families that have a long history of living in the same area, or who have traced their heritage back to a certain place or locale. It is important to note that, although they all have the same origin, the variation in spelling can make it difficult to trace family history.
Famous people with the name Safford
- Kevin Safford: American actor, known for projects like Like My Mother Always Said, The Dogfather, and Drop Dead Diva.
- Gordon Safford: Civil Rights Activist from Ohio whose award-winning efforts led to the desegregation of Dayton Public Schools.
- George M. Safford: Award-winning American author and historian whose works include the books A Romantic Friendship: The Story of Liszt and the Princess Sayn-Wittgenstein and The Story of Pianoforte-Playing.
- Robert Safford: Former Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands, who served as governor from 1974 to 1979.
- Nancy Safford: Canadian actress who has appeared in films like Pontypool and Silent Hill.
- Gary Safford: American inventor best known for patents in the field of video game consoles.
- Emma Safford: American artist and sculptor who is best known for her bronze sculptures of animals and her ceramic pieces.
- David Safford: American businessman who is former CEO of Riverbed Technology.
- Robert Safford: British actor known for roles in productions like Sense & Sensibility and The Wild Duck.
- Luke Safford: British singer-songwriter known for his alt-pop solo album Bigger Than Words and for his collaborations with various indie-rock bands.