The surname Ford has several origins. In some cases it originated as a name for someone who lived near a
ford,[1] and is therefore derived from the
Old English and
Middle Englishford.[2] In some cases, the surname is derived from places named Ford. Examples of such places include
Ford in
Northumberland[3] (from Old English ford),[4] a place in
Somerset,[5]Ford in
Shropshire[3] (from Old English ford),[4]Ford in
West Sussex[3] (from Old English ford),[4] and Forde in
Dorset.[3]
In other cases, the surname is sometimes an
anglicised form of three
Irish surnames. Two such surnames are Mac Giolla na Naomh, a name meaning "son of Gilla na Naomh"; and Mac Conshámha, a name meaning "son of Conshnámha".[6] These surnames were anglicised Ford because their final
syllable was once erroneously thought to be the Irish áth ("ford").[3] Another Irish surname anglicised Ford is Ó Fuartháin, a name meaning "descendant of Fuarthán".[7] The personal name Fuartháin, derived from the Irish fuar ("cold"), was once taken to represent the Irish fuarathán ("cold little ford"), which led the name to be erroneously translated "ford".[8] The former two Irish surnames were borne by
septs centred in the
province of
Connacht, whilst the latter was borne by a sept centred in
County Cork (in the province of
Munster).[9]
In some cases the surname Ford is an
americanized form of like-sounding
Jewish surnames, or else a translated form of the
GermanFürth.[3] Early instances of the surname Ford include de la forda in the eleventh century, æt Fordan in the twelfth-century, de la Forthe in the thirteenth-century, and Foorde[5] and de Furd in the fifteenth century.[10] The surname Ford, when found in Ireland, may be of
English or
Irish origin since many Ford families have immigrated to Ireland at various times in history. For example, a particular noted family of the name in
County Meath emigrated from Devon in the fourteenth century.[11] In Ireland, birth records for the year 1890 reveal that the surname Ford was much less common than the variant Forde (154 births compared to only 39).[12]
This page lists people with the
surnameFord. If an
internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that
link by adding the person's
given name(s) to the link.
The surname Ford has several origins. In some cases it originated as a name for someone who lived near a
ford,[1] and is therefore derived from the
Old English and
Middle Englishford.[2] In some cases, the surname is derived from places named Ford. Examples of such places include
Ford in
Northumberland[3] (from Old English ford),[4] a place in
Somerset,[5]Ford in
Shropshire[3] (from Old English ford),[4]Ford in
West Sussex[3] (from Old English ford),[4] and Forde in
Dorset.[3]
In other cases, the surname is sometimes an
anglicised form of three
Irish surnames. Two such surnames are Mac Giolla na Naomh, a name meaning "son of Gilla na Naomh"; and Mac Conshámha, a name meaning "son of Conshnámha".[6] These surnames were anglicised Ford because their final
syllable was once erroneously thought to be the Irish áth ("ford").[3] Another Irish surname anglicised Ford is Ó Fuartháin, a name meaning "descendant of Fuarthán".[7] The personal name Fuartháin, derived from the Irish fuar ("cold"), was once taken to represent the Irish fuarathán ("cold little ford"), which led the name to be erroneously translated "ford".[8] The former two Irish surnames were borne by
septs centred in the
province of
Connacht, whilst the latter was borne by a sept centred in
County Cork (in the province of
Munster).[9]
In some cases the surname Ford is an
americanized form of like-sounding
Jewish surnames, or else a translated form of the
GermanFürth.[3] Early instances of the surname Ford include de la forda in the eleventh century, æt Fordan in the twelfth-century, de la Forthe in the thirteenth-century, and Foorde[5] and de Furd in the fifteenth century.[10] The surname Ford, when found in Ireland, may be of
English or
Irish origin since many Ford families have immigrated to Ireland at various times in history. For example, a particular noted family of the name in
County Meath emigrated from Devon in the fourteenth century.[11] In Ireland, birth records for the year 1890 reveal that the surname Ford was much less common than the variant Forde (154 births compared to only 39).[12]
This page lists people with the
surnameFord. If an
internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that
link by adding the person's
given name(s) to the link.