Map of England showing where the Hartford arms are recorded
The Hartford arms were recorded in Huntingdon, c. 1589.
Huntingdonshire was small, flat fen-edge country. Drainage made new farmland and new fortunes, and families who gained by it bought manors and took arms to match.
This is where the arms were entered in the register. Families often moved to other parts of the country, so the same name can turn up in more than one region.
The body that granted and recorded arms in England in this period.
Elizabeth I of England
Sovereign of the period
Elizabeth I of England
1558–1603
Reigning in England when the Hartford arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in England
English heraldry allowed arms to be shared by all legitimate descendants of the original owner. These symbols were treated as personal property that moved through the generations to all children. While the eldest son kept the original design, other family members could use the same shield without needing to change it or register their own unique versions.
Granting authority
The College of Arms in London has regulated the use of coats of arms throughout England and Wales since 1484.
How they got arms
Families typically obtained their coats of arms through a formal grant from the Crown or by proving their ancient right to them.
Where arms were recorded
All official coats of arms are recorded in the registers kept at the College of Arms, which date back to the fifteenth century.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Huntingdon.
Origin & History of the Hartford Family in England
The surname Hartford is a locative name, which means it was originally derived from a specific place rather than a trade or personal characteristic. The name is rooted in Old English, combining the words for a stag and a river crossing, essentially describing a place where deer would ford a stream. By the late sixteenth century, the family had established a clear presence in the town of Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire. Records from 1589 confirm that members of the Hartford family were active residents in this area during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Over the following generations, the family name spread from these regional roots as individuals moved throughout England and eventually across the Atlantic to the American colonies. This transition from a descriptive place name to a settled family identity highlights how many English surnames were formed during the medieval and early modern periods.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Heort-ford
Old English words for a stag and a river crossing.
This name
HartfordA location-based surname referring to a ford frequented by deer.
also spelled
Hertford
Hartforth
Hertforth
Related arms
Hortfordsame arms
Hertfordvariant spelling
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Reaney, P.H. and Wilson, R.M., A Dictionary of English Surnames, 1991
chiefAuthority, wisdom and dominion
stagPeace and harmony, and one who will not fight unprovoked
chiefAuthority, wisdom and dominion
stagPeace and harmony, and one who will not fight unprovoked
