Surname Exford - Meaning and Origin
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Exford: What does the surname Exford mean?
The last name Exford is of English origins. It is a locative or topographical surname derived from a place in the county of Somerset, located not far from the city of Wells.
The settlement was recorded in the Doomsday Book of 1086 as 'Esforde', and likely meant 'the ford at the ash tree'. The name enables researchers to trace back a particular ancestor to the specific geographical area of origin.
The earliest known record of the surname is found in the Assize Court Rolls of 1202, which mentions a Willelmus de Essford. Subsequent records mention notables such as Archdeacon of Oxford, John de Excford, and Thomas de Exford in 1230.
Today, the Exford name may refer both to those with ancient family roots in England, as well as those settlers who moved abroad and found their own homes away from home.
Either way, the Exford surname is a testament to a very long and proud family history steeped in the traditional English values of hard work, respect and loyalty.
Order DNA origin analysisExford: Where does the name Exford come from?
The last name Exford is most commonly found in the United Kingdom, where it is most commonly seen in the counties of Devon and Somerset. Records of the name stretch back as far as 1203 in Devon where records of two Exford families have been recorded.
In modern times, the last name Exford is still most common in Devon and Somerset, with clusters of the name appearing in those counties still today. Censuses in Devon in 1841 recorded just over 350 people with the last name Exford while censuses in 2011 showed those numbers had almost doubled to over 600.
In Greater London, records of the last name Exford are found dating back to the late 1600's, while those in Hampshire are recorded from the late 1700's. The Exford name can also be found in other parts of the country such as Dorset, as well as other minor cases of the name in other parts of the world, including a few in the United States.
Overall, the last name Exford is most commonly found today in Devon and Somerset in the UK but does appear in other parts of the country as well as other parts of the world.
Variations of the surname Exford
The surname Exford has several variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. Variations of the surname Exford include Exforde, Exeter, Exfort, Exforth, Exfordet, and Ectford. Exford is believed to be derived from the Cornish word “Exford” which can be translated to mean "ford over the River Exe".
Exeter is a variant of Exford which is believed to be derived from the administrative center of the English county of Devon. It is thought to have originated from the Old English term “exa” which translates to mean water. Other variations of Exford which contain the element “ex” are most likely derived from Exeter.
Exfort and Exforth are two further variants of the same surname. The later can also be spelled as Exforthe and Exferth. These variants can be traced to a family that lived near Exforth, in Devon, England during the Middle Ages.
Lastly, Exfordet is thought to be derived from a combination of the exe element and the old French word “frotier” which can be translated to mean “stream border”. As such, Exfordet is believed to derive from a family that lived near a border stream in the Exe Valley.
Overall, the surname Exford is believed to have derived from different localized locations across England. While the origin of the Exford surname may never be known with certainty, its variations provide an insight into how it may have come into existence and ultimately the story of the people who helped shape our history.
Famous people with the name Exford
- Shane Exford: prominent Australian musician and music producer best known for his work with Dead Letter Circus and Karnivool
- Paul Exford: British former footballer who played for Shrewsbury Town and Shrewsbury United
- Robert Exford: English professional footballer of the 1950s who played for several clubs including Hull City, Burnley, and Birmingham City
- Mel Exford: Canadian musician and singer-songwriter
- Tim Exford: British former rugby league footballer who played primarily for the Warrington Wolves in the 1950s
- Jared Exford: former Australian rules footballer who played with the Sydney Swans in the late 1990s
- Matthew Exford: Australian composer and pianist
- John Exford: British executive producer and screen writer best known for his work on the television series Father Brown and The Bill
- Ryan Exford: entrepreneur and former professional rugby league footballer who played for the London Broncos
- Libby Exford: Australian award winning television news reporter, journalist, and documentary filmmaker