Gifford Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Gifford last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Gifford last name
Meaning of the Gifford last name: chubby-cheeked. Gifford is an English surname of Norman origin, from Old French giffard, "chubby-cheeked", a nickname for a plump man. Walter Giffard, a companion of William the Conqueror, held vast lands in Buckinghamshire. In Scotland the last name also comes from the village of Gifford in East Lothian.
Arms associated with the Gifford name
Heraldry associated with the Gifford surname uses a few strong colours, and each coat of arms has its own blazon.
Get your full Gifford family history
This is only a glimpse of the Gifford story. The full Gifford history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Gifford coat of arms. Get the full Gifford report.
Gifford name FAQ
What does the Gifford name mean?
chubby-cheeked. Common variants include Giffard, Gifforde.
Where does the Gifford surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Canada, Australia and Scotland.
Is there a Gifford coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Gifford coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).