Surname Sanford - Meaning and Origin
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read moreSanford: What does the surname Sanford mean?
Sanford is an English surname that is derived from Old English elements. It is a toponymic surname, meaning that it originally referred to a geographical location where the family lived. The name Sanford is a combination of two Old English words - "sand," meaning sand, and "ford," which literally means a shallow place in a river or stream where one could cross. Thus, Sanford effectively translates to 'sandy ford' or 'the ford with sand'. Those bearing this surname likely had ancestors who lived near or were somehow associated with a sandy river crossing or similar geographical feature. Like many surnames, it was utilized to distinguish people by their location. The name is widespread in English-speaking countries. Famous individuals with the surname Sanford include American comedians Redd Foxx, born John Elroy Sanford, and his nephew, Fred G. Sanford.
Order DNA origin analysisSanford: Where does the name Sanford come from?
The last name Sanford is most commonly found in the United States. Specifically, the most concentrated populations of people with this surname are in the Southern and Midwestern regions of the country. In the South, Sanford is the 66th most common last name, with the highest concentrations of people with this last name being located in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. Most of these people are of African-American heritage, likely tracing their ancestry to enslaved people who took the last name of their enslaver after Emancipation.
In the Midwest, Sanford is the 151st most popular last name. Here, the highest concentrations of people with this surname can be found in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois. The majority of these people are of German descent and likely had ancestors who emigrated from Germany to the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Overall, Sanford is currently a moderately common name in the United States. Although it is not as frequent as it once was, it can still be found in many regions of the country in both African American and German-American lineages.
Variations of the surname Sanford
Sanford is a surname of Old French origin. It is derived from the given name "Sanfort", which is a combination of two elements: 'san', meaning 'saint', and 'fort', meaning 'strong'. Variants of this surname include Sanfort, Sansford, Semford, and Simford.
Spellings of the surname Sanford include Sandfort, Sanforde, Sanfurth, Songford, and Sandforde. These spellings are often found in records of older individuals with the Sanford surname.
Surnames of the same origin include Sansom (alternatively spelled Sansam), Sandeman, and Sandover. All of these derive from the Latin "Sandfordis", or "sancta fortis", meaning "strong saint".
In the United States, the most common variant of the Sanford surname is Sanborn. It is believed that this formation was created as a result of immigrants to the United States mishearing the original surname. Sanborn and Sanford are sometimes seen as interchangeable in U.S. records.
For individuals tracing their roots to the United Kingdom and Ireland, the variants Sinnott and Synot may also appear in records. The former is likely derived from the Irish surname "O Seanaigh", meaning "descendant of Sean", and the latter is a variation spelling of "Sanford".
Overall, the Sanford surname has many variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. Records of individuals with the Sanford surname may be found in the United States, United Kingdom, and Ireland, and sometimes even further afield.
Famous people with the name Sanford
- Mark Sanford, American politician
- Christopher Sanford, American recording artist
- Leanne Sanford, American film director
- Bryant Sanford, American college baseball coach
- Chris Sanford, American professional wrestler
- Don Sanford, American composer
- Florence Sanford, early Canadian film actor
- George Sanford, British-born American lawyer and Harvard Law School professor
- Isaiah Sanford, Jr., American professional football player
- Dr. Harvey E. Sanford, American academic, administrator, and first African-American President of Bowie State University
- Lewis Sanford, American co-founder of Western Union
- Paulheart Sanford, American pro-democracy organizer, civil rights activist and author
- Thressea Boyd-Bishop, American politician
- Jason Sanford, American science fiction writer
- Cheryl Sanford, American singer-songwriter
- Johnsie Sanford, American musician
- Regina Sanford, Jamaican film actress
- Stanley Sanford, English film actor
- Willis Sanford, Canadian war hero
- William Sanford Jr., American Revolutionary War soldier