Gallafant
One-Name Study

Topics

• About the Gallafant One-Name Study
• Variants
• Origin of the surname
• Historical occurrences
• Distribution of the name
• Data
• Links
• Contact Details

About the Gallafant One-Name Study

The Gallafant One-Name Study aims to collect, analyse and interpet all references to the surname and its variants on a world wide basis. It hopes to discover how all holders of the name and their ancestors are related and to produce trees to demonstrate this.

Variants

Spellings of surnames can be seen to change throughout a person’s life as it was recorded at events such as baptisms and censuses. Modern variants which are now solidly fixed can often be traced back to two brothers who assumed the different spellings given to them by the different recorders of those events. Gallafant and its variants, Gallifant, Gallafent, Gallifent and Galliphant are supplemented by many deviant spellings, few of which are used today. Recorded deviants include:

Galafant, Galafent, Galafont, Galaphont, Galfant, Galfent, Galifant, Galifent, Galifiant, Galifont, Galiphant, Gallafaint, Gallafang, Gallafaut, Gallafer, Gallafeut, Gallaflent, Gallafont, Gallagent, Gallapent, Gallaphant, Gallarfing, Gallavant, Gallefand, Gallefant, Gallefent, Gallefing, Gallefont, Gallerfant, Gallerfing, Gallerping, Gallfent, Gallifeant, Gallifiant, Galliflent-holmes, Gallifont, Gallofant, Gallofent, Gallophant

Like the English language, the sound of the surname has evolved as populations became isolated or migrated and were influenced by local dialects and accents. Recorded historical spellings include:

Callefans, Curlevannce, Galafent, Girlyfence, Girlyvance, Gulephant, Gullifant, Gurlefance, Gurlephans, Gurlevance, Gurlyfannce, Garlafant

Origin of the surname

There are two theories worthy of further research, they are detailed at http://www.gallafant.co.uk/jsgNotes.html

Historical occurrences

Early documented examples of the surname include: Philip Golafre, in the Red Book of the Exchequer for Suffolk in 1166 and Richard Gulavere, of Northampton, in the Book of Fees, c.1220.

Distribution of the name

Historically, most seem to come from the South East of England, in particular the area around Halstead in Essex. Main migration paths can be followed to London and the Middlesbrough area but there are also instances recorded all over England. Recent times see Gallafants residing in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and beyond.

Data

Births, Deaths, Marriage and census data can be searched for at the Gallafant repository of the Guild

Archive: http://www.one-name.org/archives/gallafant.html

New information and contacts are always welcome.

Links

Much more information is available at: http://www.gallafant.co.uk

These pages are updated regularly

Contact details

For further information, contact:

Mr Carl Gallafant
5 Corner Close,
Wigginton,
York,
North Yorkshire
YO32 2QB
UNITED KINGDOM
E-mail:

This page last updated 13 January 2012.

Profiles of other one-name studies registered with the Guild may be found here.