Surname Spafford - Meaning and Origin

Spafford: What does the surname Spafford mean?

The surname Spafford is of English origin and it is mainly found in the region of Yorkshire. It is derived from the place name "Spofforth" in North Yorkshire. The old English word "Spaforð" is the origin of the place name, which means "spot ford" or "lookout ford"; essentially pointing to a shallow part of a river or stream that could be crossed by foot. "Spa" refers to a lookout and "forð" means a ford or a shallow crossing. Hence, the surname Spafford could indicate families who possibly lived or originated near such a crossing in a river. As with many surnames, variations in spelling, such as Spofford and Spofforth can be seen too.

Spafford: Where does the name Spafford come from?

Today, the last name Spafford is most commonly found in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland. The name appears to have originated in England, though it is found in many other countries as well.

In the United States, the name is mainly found in the New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest regions. The largest concentrations of Spaffords can be found in the greater Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Chicago areas. It is also found frequently in the states of California, Texas, and Florida.

In the United Kingdom, the name is primarily found in east and north-east England, and also in Scotland.

In Canada, Spaffords can be found predominantly in Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec.

In Australia, the name is mainly found in suburbs of the major cities such as Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane.

New Zealand also has a few Spaffords living mainly in Auckland and Wellington.

The Spafford name has made its way to many parts of the world, but there remains a large concentration located mainly in the countries previously mentioned. It is likely that the family originally hailed from England, and has since spread to the other countries due to immigration and settlement.

Variations of the surname Spafford

The surname Spafford is an English and Scottish patronymic surname derived from the given name Spofford. Variants of this name include Spofford, Spafford, Spawford, Spoforth, Spofforth, and Spawforth.

In some cases, when records were kept in an agricultural area, the surname could be spelled Sperfford, Sparford, Speford, Spellford, and Sparforth. A patronymic surname is derived from the father’s given name. In the case of Spafford, it is derived from the given name Spofford, which in turn comes from an Old English word meaning “clearing in the woods”.

In Scotland, the surname has been spelled Spoford, Spoffard, Spofford, Spuffard, Spufford, Spafard, and Spaffard. A Scottish variant of the surname is Spafford. This was the surname of several members of a Scottish family in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

In Ireland, the surname is found occasionally in some families, but its forms are not well-recorded. Other spellings in Ireland include Spaffard, Spafor, Spaffordd, Spaffordl, Spafferd, and Spabove.

With regards to surname variants and other spellings of Spafford, these can be found in many countries across the world, such as England, Scotland, Ireland, Scandinavia, Germany, France, and The Netherlands. There is also a noteworthy presence of the surname in the USA and Canada.

Famous people with the name Spafford

• Graham Spafford: Australian Olympic ice hockey player
• Tracy Spafford: international softball player
• Anson Robbins Spafford: one of the first five settlers of Kenosha, Wisconsin
• George F. Spafford: American Methodist bishop
• Anson Gardiner Spafford: American newspaper editor
• Cassie Spafford: American writer and poet
• Arthur Spafford: American attorney and judge
• Paul Spafford: British radio presenter
• Hetty Spafford: British actress
• Robert Spafford: British actor
• Henry Spafford: British radiologist
• John Thomas Spafford: British evangelist
• Herbert Spafford: Canadian-American historian
• August Henry Spafford: Canadian politician
• Eugene M. Spafford: American computer security expert
• Carl Spafford: American watercolor artist
• Magnus Spafford: Swedish-American musician
• Simeon Eben Spafford: American civic and business leader
• Joyce Spafford: Mormon religious writer
• Philip Spafford: American digital rights advocate

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