STAFFORD
The surname Stafford is of strictly English origin and derives from a locational background. In the Old English language the elements stæð, meaning “landing place”, and ford, meaning “shallow point in a river at which it can be crossed”, combine to form a toponymic meaning of “one who lived near the landing place by the ford”. The name is most closely associated with the town of Stafford in Staffordshire, where the place was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Stadford.
The Domesday entry for Staffordshire cites the place name as a direct translation of the Old English pre‑7th Century terms Staef and forda, and it is conceived as “the landing‑stage by the ford”. Other sites such as the villages of East and West Stafford in Dorset also give rise to the surname, appearing in the same survey simply as Stanford and interpreted as “the stony ford”. In some instances the name is considered topographical, denoting a ford marked with staves, a sense that has been taken from the linguistic element staff.
Historically the surname is linked with early English nobility. Ralph de Stafford (1299‑1372) is recorded as the first Earl of Stafford, having participated in the campaigns at Crécy and Poitiers against the French and later confronting the Scots in 1356. Humphrey Stafford, Earl of Devon (1439‑1469), and Thomas Stafford (1531‑1557), who opposed Queen Mary of England, are other prominent bearers noted in the “Dictionary of National Biography”. The name appears in pioneering colonial records as well; William Stafford is listed in the Muster of the Inhabitants in Virginia as residing in Elizabeth Cittie in 1625.
According to established historical records the earliest known spelling of the family name is that of Robert de Stadford, dated 1086 in the Domesday Book during the reign of King William I, the Conqueror. This early attestation confirms the antiquity of the toponym and its importance as a source for the surname that has survived into modern usage across the British Isles.
Typical given names associated with the Stafford surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
Female
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Karen
- Laura
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Patricia
- 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 Stafford in...
Braille
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Morse
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Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Stafford are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Chocolate Hobnob.
There are approximately 12,586 people named Stafford in the UK. That makes it the 716th most common surname in Britain. Around 193 in a million people in Britain are named Stafford.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Stafford
- Ed Stafford - Explorer
- Jessica-Jane Stafford - Actor and model
- Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham - Noble, born in Wales (1478 to 1521)
- Michael Stafford - Maverick
- Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham - Noble, born in Wales (1455 to 1483)
- Matthew Stafford - American football quarterback
- Lee Stafford - Hairdresser
- Dorothy Stafford - Noblewoman and courtier (1526 to 1604)
- Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham - Noble (1402 to 1460)
- Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford - Baron (1501 to 1563)
- Harry Stafford - Football player (1869 to 1940)
- Hanley Stafford - Actor (1899 to 1968)
- William Stafford - Spy (1554 to 1612)
- Edward Stafford, 3rd Baron Stafford - Nobleman (1535 to 1603)
- Edmund Stafford, 5th Earl of Stafford - Earl (1378 to 1403)
- Edward Stafford - Prime Minister of New Zealand (1819 to 1901)
- Ellis Stafford - Football player (1929 to 2007)
- Clive Stafford - Football player
- Lancelot Stafford - Athletics competitor (1887 to 1940)
- Natalie Stafford - Basketball player
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.