COMERFORD
Comerford is a surname of Irish origin that has a complex linguistic and historical background. The name is derived from the Gaelic personal name Ó Comhfhordha, meaning descendant of Comhfhordha. The constituent elements of the name are comh, meaning “together”, and fhor, meaning “road” or “path”. Consequently, the surname can be interpreted as “one who dwells near a cross‑road” or “one who lives by the meeting of roads”.
A related form of the name, O'Comghairfort, incorporates the Gaelic elements comh (“together”) and gearrfort (“shortcut”). This variant is associated with the Uí Fidgeinti sept that was based in the modern county of Kilkenny. The name remains most concentrated in the province of Leinster and is recorded as one of the top five hundred surnames in Ireland according to the Central Statistics Office. It is also found, though less frequently, in counties such as Galway, Cork, and Limerick.
Besides its Irish roots, the surname appears in medieval English records under a different orthography. In the latter part of the thirteenth century the name was recorded as Cumfort, a form derived from the Old French Cunfort or Confort, meaning encouragement, aid or support. It was originally given as a personal nickname to someone regarded as a source of strength and support. The earliest recorded instance of the name in England is that of William Cumfort, a witness in the Assize Court Rolls of Somerset dated 1269, during the reign of King Henry II. Other early occurrences include Richard Cumfort in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire (1273) and Richard Counfort in the Calendar of Pleas for London (1375).
From the mid‑sixteenth century onward, spellings such as Compfort, Compford, and Compfort were documented in church registers of Kent and London. These variations suggest that, in some instances, the surname may have a locational origin linked to a now‑lost place in Kent, possibly called Compford from the Old English camp (“field”) plus ford. The christenings of Anthonie Compfort in Keston, Kent (12 November 1564), and Thomas Comfort in Ash by Wrotham, Kent (30 August 1562), provide further evidence of the surname’s presence in that region.
The Comerford name has become a symbol of Irish cultural heritage, particularly among those who trace their ancestry to pre‑revolutionary Ireland. Its diaspora is widespread; many members of the family have settled in the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and South Africa. Within the United Kingdom the surname is most often found in England, but it also appears in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, reflecting the migration of Irish families during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Several spelling variations exist for the surname, reflecting orthographic changes over time. These include Comerforde, Commerford, Comford, Comfort, Comford, Comport, Comfurth, Comforth, and Comportte. The spread of these variants illustrates both the adaptability of the name and the wide geographical reach of its bearers.
Typical given names associated with the Comerford surname
Male
- Anthony
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Patrick
- Paul
- Peter
- Stephen
- Thomas
Female
- Anne
- Catherine
- Elizabeth
- Helen
- Jacqueline
- Jane
- Joanne
- Louise
- Margaret
- Mary
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Comerford in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 1,725 people named Comerford in the UK. That makes it roughly the 4,758th most common surname in Britain. Around 26 in a million people in Britain are named Comerford.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Comerford
- Joseph Comerford - (1958 to 2000)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.