Surname Sandford - Meaning and Origin

Sandford: What does the surname Sandford mean?

The last name Sandford is of Old English origin and is derived from the pre 7th century words "sand" and "ford", which literally translates to "sandy ford". A ford refers to a shallow area with good footing where a river or stream may be crossed by wading. Therefore, the name likely indicated someone who lived near or was associated with such a location. It is also a place-name for various locations in England that were named Sandford because of a particular sandy ford present in the locality. Thus, the Sandford surname is topographical in nature and belongs to a category of surnames deriving either from various natural and man-made features in the landscape or specific areas in Britain.

Sandford: Where does the name Sandford come from?

The last name Sandford is most commonly found in the United States and Canada today. It is generally an English name, and most likely comes from either a place or a profession. For example, a location derived last name often comes from a geographical feature such as a sandford, which is an old English word for sandy ford. Alternatively, it could come from a profession such as a sandforder, an older word for a sand worker who shifted sand to different places.

In the United States, Sandford was the 686th most common surname in the 2000 Census. In England, the name is still in use in certain regions, but far less common. In Scotland, it was the 18,793rd most common name in the year 2014. The highest density of people with the Sandford surname were found in Devon, located in southwest England.

Though the name is more common in the United States, individuals with the last name Sandford can be found in many countries around the world. For example, Sandford is a prominent name in Australia, Canada, England, Ireland, South Africa and Scotland.

Variations of the surname Sandford

The surname Sandford has many variants and spellings, including Sanford, Sandifer, Sandiford, Sandifor, Sandfort, Sanforde, Sandieford, Sandifere, Sandifur, Sandiferd, Sandforth, Sandifurth, Sandiferth, Sandiefurth, Sandiferdge, Sandifirth, Sandiforth, Sanforth, Sandiferdgh, Sanferth, and Sanforth.

Sandford is an English habitational surname from a place so named in Kent, Derbyshire, Devon, Wiltshire, and Lincolnshire. It is derived from the Olde English personal name Sand, meaning “sandy” and ford, meaning “ford”; a shallow place in a river allowing people to cross without having to swim. It is also derived from sandford, a word meaning “sandy ford”.

The earliest recordings of the surname in England are from the 14th century when William de Sandeford was referenced in the 1379 Subsidy Rolls of Norfolk. William de Sandeford of Yorkshire was listed in the 1381 Poll Tax records. Other records from the end of the same century include Richard Sandeford, in the 1395 Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, and Robert Sanderford in the 1397 Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire. In Scotland, the surname Sandford is possibly of Irish origin, from the Gaelic sobriquet "O'Sannduibhir" which means "O'Sandford", suggesting a lost and forgotten place of origin in Ireland.

In the 20th century, notable people of the surname Sandford include Rikki, Caleb, and Corben Sandford, innovators of a new type of water sport called Hydroflight (invented in 2012).

The surname Sandford is also quite rare, with only about 2,000 people in the United Kingdom bearing the name. Although the surname has many variants and spellings, Sandford remains the most commonly used form in the U.K. and Ireland.

In the U.S., the surname Sandford has also been changed in various ways, such as Sanders, Sandel, Sanderline, Sanderford, and Sandberg.

Famous people with the name Sandford

• Rob Sanford: football coach and former college football player
• Dave Sandford: Canadian photographer
• Chris Sandford: English actor, writer and director
• Francis Sandford: English genealogist and historian
• Emmett Sandford: Canadian politician
• Selina Sandford: American artist
• Paul Sandford: English musician
• Leonard Sandford: British colonel post-WWII
• Anthony Sandford: Australian plant pathologist
• Thomas Sandford: Irish actor, director, and playwright
• Christopher Sandford: English biographer
• Sam Sandford: American Major League baseball player
• Rusty Sandford: American folk singer
• Ali Sandford: British television presenter
• Stafford Sandford: British Army officer and politician
• Robert Sandford: Canadian conservationist and author
• Philip Sandford: British soldier and politician
• Wilfrid Sandford: English judge
• Tommy Sandford: American stand-up comedian
• Vernon Sandford: British actor, director, and writer

Other surnames

SandföhrSandfortSandforthSandfossSandfoß