Surname Botsford - Meaning and Origin
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Botsford: What does the surname Botsford mean?
The last name Botsford is of English and Scottish origin. It is derived from the Old English personal name “Bobbe” combined with “ford” which means to cross or pass over a stream, and the suffix “-ford” often indicated the presence of a ford crossing. It was first found in the northern English county of Lancashire, the surname was thought to refer to a family who resided at a ford.
The de Bote(s)fords were an important family in Lancashire and a settlement known below a ford on the river Winster formed the core of their estate. In 1212, the sons of Robert Bot(e)sford were recorded in county records as living at Botesford on the Winster River. By the late 1400s, the family had additional holdings throughout Lancashire.
In 16th-century American records, William Bondesford was recorded as an early arrival to the New World. He is believed to have arrived in what is now Pennsylvania in 1643. His descendants later occupied land in the south and Midwest of the United States.
The Botsford surname is a unique name that serves as an ancestral reminder to the members of its family. It indicates a long line of hardworking, pioneering individuals who have overcome many obstacles in order to create a better life for themselves and their descendants.
Order DNA origin analysisBotsford: Where does the name Botsford come from?
The last name Botsford is still quite common today, especially in the United States. The earliest trace of the Botsford surname in America was to Captain William Botsford who, in the 1630s, arrived in colonial Massachusetts from England.
Today, the last name is the most frequent along the eastern seaboard of the United States, mainly in the states of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.
Further inland, it is also common in Michigan, Illinois, and Ohio. It might surprise some to learn that among the southeastern states, the surname can be found in states as far south as Louisiana.
Since the 1880s, Botsford has been one of the 1000 most common surnames in the United States. Today, most individuals with the Botsford name live in the United States, but the name can also be found in smaller numbers in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.
Variations of the surname Botsford
The surname Botsford is derived from two Old English words, botl and ford. Botl is a middle English grammar and spelling variant of bottle, which means an animal corral, while ford means a fording place or a shallow part of a river that can be crossed on foot. Therefore, Botsford literally means a person who comes from a place of an animal corral near a place for fording a river.
Variants and spellings of the surname Botsford include Botford, Bottsford, Bottesford, Bottsford, Bodford, Botesford, Botesforth and Botesforde.
Other surnames with the same origin include Bottleson, Botteson, Bottson, Bottsonson, Bottson, Boddeson, Bodeson, and Bodeson.
Variants of the surname with different origins include Bostick, Botsch, Busch, Buttsworth, and Botschar.
In addition to the English spelling of Botsford, similar surnames can be found in Germany, such as Botsch and Busch, and in various European countries, such as Botschar in Romania; Bostick in Scotland; Botsworth in Wales, and Buttsworth in Ireland.
The surname Botsford is sometimes confused with similar-sounding surnames such as Boughton, Battson, and Baston.
Famous people with the name Botsford
- David Botsford: Two-time Emmy Award Winning Producer for ABC, NBC, and CBS.
- Dave Botsford: Professional Surfer and Co-Founder of Pretty Sweet Surfboards.
- Susan Botsford: American Artist Specializing in expressionist abstract painting and drawing.
- Terry Botsford: Three-time Emmy Award Winning Actor for the role in US sitcom Perfect Strangers.
- Mark Botsford: American Film Actor and Voice-Over Artist.
- Andrew Botsford: Professional Golfer and 8-time PGA Tour Champion.
- Mark Botsford, Jr.: Winner of the Ace Award (also known as the Academy of Comic Book Arts Award).
- Jennifer Botsford: American Poet and Author of Love and Other Hazards.
- Mark Botsford III: Famous Radio Presenter and MC.
- Richard Botsford: Winner of the Samuel Taylor Coleridge Award for Excellence in Literature.