Surname Mutford - Meaning and Origin
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Mutford: What does the surname Mutford mean?
The last name Mutford is likely of English origin, and it is a toponymic surname derived from places in East Anglia called Mutford. The most common version of the place name Mutford is a combination of two Old English words: “mutu”, meaning “mote” or “mound” and “ford”, meaning “ford”. Historically, many surnames related to places indicated where a family originally lived or held lands, and so this may be the case with the Mutford surname.
Tracing the background of the surname further back, it is associated with the community that lived near or around the places named Mutford. This indicates that the first bearers of the surname were likely born there in the Middle Ages.
Mote or motte refered to an artificial mound, typically built in a strategic location by the Lord of a manor as a defence against invaders. The ford was a crossing point or shallow part of a river used as a route to access or traverse a river. These mottes and fords were often under the control and protection of feudal lords. Over time, the people who lived near these areas took the surname Mutford, and eventually passed the name down to their children.
In modern times, the Mutford surname remains quite popular in parts of East Anglia, and many of its bearers are proud of their heritage and continue to use the name to this day.
Order DNA origin analysisMutford: Where does the name Mutford come from?
The last name Mutford is most commonly found today within the UK and the US, although there are some people with the name who live in other parts of the world. Within the UK, Mutford is predominantly found in the East Anglia region, which includes the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, and Essex. This is not surprising, as the Mutford surname originates from England, and it is believed to have first appeared in Norfolk sometime in the 12th century. Within the US, the name is found in all states, but it is most common in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and New York. With the rise of genealogy websites and searchable databases of family history, people with the Mutford surname have had the opportunity to trace back the name and gain a more detailed understanding of their lineage.
Overall, the Mutford surname is still quite common, with FamilySearch estimating over 1,500 individual Mutford's in the world today. As the number of people searching and researching genealogy continues to increase, we can expect these numbers to increase even more in the future.
Variations of the surname Mutford
The surname Mutford has a few variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. Mutford itself is an English name and usually has the spelling as M-U-T-F-O-R-D. One lesser-known spelling variant is MUTFORTH. This spelling appears in the British censuses from 1841-1891 and is the root spelling and surname of many modern day Mutfords.
Other spellings of the surname Mutford may include but are not limited to: Mutferd, Mutferde, Mutfres, Mutfard, Mutferth, Muthford, Mutherd, and Mufferd. All of these variants are found in the British censuses from 1841-1891.
The surnames of similar origin to Mutford are Mumford and Mustard. Mumford is an English name found in the British censuses from 1851-1911 and is derived from a personal name Mo(e)ulf, while Mustard is a French name derived from the word 'moutarde' meaning mustard. Both of these surnames have variants such as Mumferd, Muford, Mufferd, Mustard, and Mustrard.
In conclusion, the surname Mutford has a few variants, spellings, and names of similar origin. The variants include: Mutferd, Mutferde, Mutfres, Mutfard, Mutferth, Muthford, Mutherd, Mufferd, Mumford and Mustard. All of these are found in various British censuses and have their own respective origins.
Famous people with the name Mutford
- Mark Mutford: English football player for Dagenham & Redbridge FC and local non-league teams; coached several Football Association (FA) teams in the past.
- Meg Mutford: Australian Paralympic Cycling Gold Medal winner at the Commonwealth Games in 2002.
- Mike Mutford: American entrepreneur, business leader, and investor in food & beverage industry.
- Karla Mutford: Canadian world champion swimmer who dominated the 100m swimming event at both the junior and senior level.
- John Mutford: Young English actor best known for role in Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone.
- David Mutford: British journalist, columnist, and television presenter.
- Chris Mutford: Former professional tennis player and current coach and fitness instructor.
- Sam Mutford: British cartoonist and illustrator known for his work in magazines, books, and newspapers.
- Tony Mutford: British singer-songwriter and former frontman for the band Reverie.
- Ruairi Mutford: Irish professional boxer and current WBO Inter-Continental Featherweight champion.