Hartford
A surname usually taken from the English place-name Hartford, meaning a deer crossing or ford associated with stags.
The #7,660 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 71,205 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Hartford is a locational surname from an English place-name. The name is generally understood as coming from Old English elements meaning “hart” or stag and “ford,” so the sense is “the ford frequented by deer” or “stag ford.” Surnames of this type were typically given to people who had moved from Hartford or from a similarly named place.
History
The surname appears in English surname lists as a local name, and later spread beyond Britain through migration. In the United States it is uncommon, but it is established enough to appear in census data and historical directories. Some later references may also reflect spellings influenced by place-name use or by confusion with similar names such as Hartfield or Hartwell.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Several English places are called Hartford or Harford, which is why the surname can arise independently in more than one locality.
From the historical record
“B<r«raloy— Local, 'of Evers- ley,' a parish in Hantt, three miles from Hartford Bridge. Joko di Evefilt eo. Ke-nt, 1171. A, Waker de Evenle, co. Kctat, 1^ "Swivm, Ht«T.— Bapt. ' the son of Everard,* q.v.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances