Map of England showing where the Sanford arms are recorded
The Sanford arms were recorded in Somerset, c. 1568.
Somerset was rich farming country with a thick scattering of manor houses. Its gentry were numerous and long-settled, and a settled landed family almost always ended up with arms.
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 Sanford 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 Somerset.
Origin & History of the Sanford Family in England
The surname Sanford originated as a locational name, meaning it was used to identify people based on the place where they lived. It is derived from the Old English words for a sandy ford, which describes a shallow river crossing with a sandy bottom. By 1568, the family was well-established in the county of Somerset, England. During this period, families often took their names from the specific villages or landmarks near their homes. As the family grew and moved throughout the region, the name became a permanent way to track their ancestry and connections to the Somerset landscape. This naming tradition helped neighbors and officials distinguish between different households in an era before formal identification systems existed.
Sanford Meaning & Related Branches
Root word
Sandford
A sandy river crossing or ford.
This name
SanfordDerived from a location featuring a sandy crossing point over a river.
also spelled
Sandford
Sanforth
Saneford
Related arms
Sandfordvariant spelling
Bearerecorded with Sanford, same area
Broadmeadrecorded with Sanford, same area
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
Somerset Archives, Quarter Sessions Records, Q/SR
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