Stopford Family Crest, Coat of Arms and Name History

Stopford Origin:

England

Origins of Stopford:

Listed in the spellings of Stockport, which is quite limited, and the most popular dialects Stoppard, Stopforth and Stopford, this is an English surname. It is locational and starts from the town of Stockport in the division of Cheshire. The town is on the River Mersey and before the Norman Invasion of 1066 it was considered that it was known as Stocford from the Olde English pre 7th century “stoc” meaning a place and “forda,” a slight river crossing. As to why, the popular surname spelling is Stoppard, Stopford or Stopforth is unknown, but some of the earliest records are in Yorkshire in the Poll Tax rolls of 1379. It shows that the changed language through the crossing of the Pennine moorlands and slops which divide the divisions may have had something to do with it. Locational surnames may originally have applied to the local lord of the estate, as may in some examples apply here, however, in general, they are “from” names. That is to say, names were given to people after they departed from their original homes, and who moved elsewhere. Local languages being very thick and spelling unusual, soon lead to the advancement of alternative spellings. In this example, Roger de Stokeford noted in Cheshire in 1295, Thomas Stoppforth was a citizen of York in 1375 and Oliver Stokport was the administrator of Stockport in the year 1549.

Variations:

More common variations are: Stoppford, Stepford, Stapford, Stipford, Stapfort, Stabfort.

England:

The surname Stopford first appeared in Cheshire where Sir Robert of Stockport was a Norman noble, son of Robert Fitz-Waltheof, King of Etchells, who was a resident of the Baron of Dunham Massey. “The manor [at Etchells] was anciently in the Stockports, from whom it passed by a female descendant to the Aldernes and Stanleys.”

Ireland:

Many of the people with surname Stopford had moved to Ireland during the 17th century.

United States of America:

Some of the people with the name Stopford who arrived in the United States in the 19th century included Edward Stopford settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1852.

Here is the population distribution of the last name Stopford: South Africa 822; England 645; United States 139; Australia 117; Canada 52; New Zealand 43; Scotland 33; Northern Ireland 3; Ireland 2; Hong Kong 2.

Notable People:

Admiral Sir Robert Stopford GCB GCMG (February 1768 – June 1847), was a prominent officer in the Royal Navy whose job crossed over 60 years, from the French Revolutionary Wars to the Syrian War.

Lieutenant General Sir Frederick William Stopford, KCB, KCMG, KCVO (February 1854 –May 1929) was a British Army officer, best recognized for commanding the Suvla Bay landing in August 1915 during the Gallipoli Battle.

Joseph Thomas Sarsfield Stopford (1867–November 1951) was a British Bowman. He took part at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. He entered the men’s double York round event in 1908, taking 12th place with 530 points.

General Sir Montagu George North Stopford GCB, KBE, DSO, MC (November 1892 –March 1971) was a senior British Army officer who fought during both World War I and World War II, where he became Commander-in-Chief South East Asia Command from 1946 to 1947.

Blazons & Genealogy Notes

1) (Baron of Stockport, co. Chester; Sir Robert de Stockport, son of Robert Fitz-Waltheop, Lord of Etchells, was immediate tenant of Stockport under the Baron of Dunham Massey; he d. 23 Henry III., A.D. 1238, leaving a son, Robert de Stockport, who had two sons, 1) Richard, d. 1292, leaving two dans, his co-heirs; 2) Sir Roger de Stockport, Knt., of Woodford, who was possessed of the township of Hattlesbury, 17 Edward I., A.D. 1288, and had by Lucy, his wife, a son, Geoffrey De Stockport, who got a conveyance of the Great Warford, 1337, and left descendants by Eleanor, his wife). Modern: Az. three lozenges or,
2) Same as above, but ancient. (Saltersford, co. Chester, and New Hall, co. Meath; Captain James Stopford, grandfather of James Stofford, Esq., of Courtown, co. Wexford, who was father of James, first Earl of Courtown; Fun. Ent. Ulster’s Office, 1660, of his first wife, Eleanor, dau. of John Morewood, Esq., co. York). Az. semée of crosses crosslet or, three lozenges of the last, modern.
3) (Earl of Courtown and Baron Saltersford; James Stopford, Esq., of Courtown, co. Wexford, son and heir of James Stopford, Esq., of New Hall, co. Meath, who purchased Courtown from John Chichester, Esq., 1711, and grandson of William Stopford, Esq., the eldest son of Captain James Stopford, of Saltersford, co. Chester, was created Baron Courtovm 1758, and Viscount Stopford and Earl of Courtovm 1762, in the Peerage of Ireland; James, second Earl of Courtown, one of the Founder Knight of St. Patrick, was created Baron Saltersford, in the Peerage of Great Britain, 1794). Motto—Patriae infelici fidelis. Az. three lozenges or, betw. nine crosses crosslet of the last. Crest—A wyvern, wings expanded vert. Supporters—Two stags ppr. collared and chained or, each charged on the shoulder with a lozenge of the last.
4) (Stopford-Sackville) (Drayton House, co. Northampton; William Bruce Stopford, Esq., fourth son of Hon. and Bev. Richard Bruce Stopford, Canon of Windsor, and Chaplain to Her Majesty, the fourth son of James, Earl of Courtown, K.P., m. 1837, Caroline Harriet, dau. of George Sackville-Germain, and neice and heiress of Charles, fifth and last Duke of Dorset, and assumed in consequence, by royal licence, the additional surname of Sackville, when he had the following arms exemplified to him). Motto—Patriæ infelici fidelis. Quarterly, 1st and 4th. quarterly, or and gu. over all a bend vair, for Sackville; 2nd and 3rd, az. three lozenges or, betw. nine crosses crosslet of the last, for Stopford. Crests—1st, Sackville: Out of a coronet composed of eight fleurs-de-lis or, an estoile of eight points ar.; 2nd, Stopford: A wyvern, wings expanded vert.
5) (Stopford-Blair) (Penningham, co. Wigtown; Col. William Henry Stopford, third son of Lieut.-Gen. Hon. Edward Stopford, second son of James, first Eart of Courtown, assumed, by royal licence, the additional surname of Blair, upon inheriting the Penningham estate, the property of James Blair, Esq., of Penningham, who m. 1815, Col. Stopford’s sister, Elizaseth Katherine, and d. s. p. 1841). (Hon. and Right Rev. Thomas Stopford, Bishop of Cork and Boss, 1794-1805, third son of James, first Earl of Courtown). (Right Rev. James Stopford, Bishop of Cloyne, 1753-59, testified by Jonathan Swift, Dean of St. Patrick’s, as “A modest, learned, virtuous, and deserving gentleman,” son of James Stopford, Esq., second son of Captain James Stopford, of Saltersford, and his grandson, Right Hon, and Most Rev. Edward Stopford, Bishop of Meath, 1842-50). (co. Cork; descended from Joseph Stopford, 6. 1732, second son of James Stopford, Bishop of Cloyne). Quarterly, 1st and 4th, ar. a chev. sa. betw. three torteaux, a canton or, for distinction, for Blair; 2nd and 3rd, az. three lozenges betw. nine crosses crosslet or, for Stopford. Crests—1st, Blair: A dove, wings expanded ppr. charged on the breast with a torteanx for distinction; 2nd, Stopford: A wyvern, wings expanded vert.
6) Az. semée of crosses crosslet or, three lozenges of the last, modern.