Gafford Family History

Gafford Surname Meaning

English (southeastern): assimilated form of Gatford, a name of various origins. In Sussex and Surrey, it is perhaps a variant of the habitational name Catford from a place so called in Somerset. Gatford is also from the habitational names Gateford (in Worksop, Nottinghamshire) or Gateforth (near Selby, Yorkshire), both formed with Old English gāt ‘goat’ + ford ‘ford’, influenced by Old Norse geit ‘goat’.

Probably also an altered form of German Gaffert: habitational name from Gaffert near Köslin, Brandenburg, or from a personal name formed with Middle High German gate ‘fellow, companion’. The surname Gaffert is very rare in Germany.

English: perhaps an altered form of Gatewood, an occupational name for a ‘goatherd’ (Middle English gate-werde, Old English gātweard) or for a ‘gate keeper’ (Middle English gateward, Old English ʒeatweard, dialect gātward).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Similar surnames: Galford, Gifford, Pafford, Wafford, Safford, Rayford, Kofford, Ufford, Stafford, Alford

76,000 record(s) for Gafford

16K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
2K	Military Records
550	Immigration Records
11K	Census and Voter Lists
46K	Member Trees

Where is the Gafford family from?

You can see how Gafford families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gafford family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gafford families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 6 Gafford families living in Alabama. This was about 21% of all the recorded Gafford's in USA. Alabama and 1 other state had the highest population of Gafford families in 1840.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gafford surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Gafford ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Gafford. 33% of Gafford men worked as a Farmer and 12% of Gafford women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gafford were Farm laborer and Saleslady.

We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

Farmer

33%

Laborer

19%

Salesman

5%

Farm laborer

4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

Teacher

12%

Housewife

11%

Waitress

9%

Saleslady

9%

What Gafford family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 11K census records available for the last name Gafford. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gafford census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Passenger List

There are 550 immigration records available for the last name Gafford. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

Military Records

There are 2K military records available for the last name Gafford. For the veterans among your Gafford ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

What is the average Gafford lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Gafford life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Gafford in 1945 was 39, and 83 in 2004.

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Gafford ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.