Gayfeart History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The ancestors of the Gayfeart surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived in the region of Gaye which was located in France. The surname Gayfeart was also a nickname which described someone with a happy or light spirited character.
Early Origins of the Gayfeart family
The surname Gayfeart was first found in Durham at Gainford, a parish, in the unions of Teesdale, Darlington, and Auckland. "This place was anciently a seigniory detached from the palatinate jurisdiction of the county, and invested with several valuable privileges and immunities. It appears to have been indebted for its origin to Egfrid, Bishop of Lindisfarne, who founded a church, which in 830 he gave to the see, together with the lands annexed to it, and which continued to form part of the episcopal possessions till the commencement of the 11th century." [1]
Important Dates for the Gayfeart family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gayfeart research. Another 115 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gayfeart History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Gayfeart Spelling Variations
Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Gayfeart include Gainsford, Gaynesford, Gainford, Gaynsford, Ganesford and many more.
Early Notables of the Gayfeart family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Gayfeart Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Gayfeart family
A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: Mathias Gainsford who settled in Maryland in 1774 and Arthur Gainsford, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1876.
Gayfeart (English)