Gafford Family History

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).