Sandifer
An English surname probably developed from a place-name, especially Sandiford, though older writers also proposed a more speculative “sent/farer” explanation.
The #5,949 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 53,361 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The strongest historical explanation links Sandifer to Sandiford, a locational surname from a place-name in England. In that reading, the name ultimately refers to a sandy ford or similar sandy crossing place. A 19th-century writer also suggested a different analysis involving elements meaning “sent” and “to travel,” but that derivation is much less secure and is best treated cautiously.
History
The surname appears in British surname dictionaries as a variant or development of Sandiford. It is found in English-language records and later became established in the United States as well. Because the forms are close, some historical works treated Sandifer as a simplified spelling of the locational surname rather than as a completely separate origin.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A few older surname scholars tried to break Sandifer into unusual word parts, but later reference works more simply treated it as a place-based name from Sandiford.
From the historical record
“Sandham. From Sandholme ; i loc n., Lines, Yorks Sandifer. From Sandiford ; a loc n., Staffs Sandilands. A loc. n., Lanark Sandlant. S. Sandlund ; a loc and p.n.”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (2nd ed.)