Recorded as Bamford, Bamforth, Baumford, Banford, Benford, Binford, Bunford, Bunniford, and others, this is an English surname. It is of locational origin from either Bamford in Derbyshire or Bamford in Lancashire. The former, recorded as Banford in The Domesday Book of 1086 and as Bamford in the charters of that county in 1246, derives its name from the pre 7th century word "beam" meaning a beam, plus ford, and hence a shallow river crossing with a footbridge". The estate of Bamford in Lancashire was granted to Thomas de Bamford by Sir Adam de Bury circa 1216, and Johannes Bamford appears in the Poll Tax register of Yorkshire in 1379. Amongst the recordings of the name in London are those of Richard Benford at the church of St Gregory by St Pauls Cathedral, on March 5th 1664, and in the same year William Banford was christened at the church of St. Mary Whitechapel on December 4th 1664, whilst on September 4th 1820, Sarah Bunford was christened at St. Leonards Shoreditch. "Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire". The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William de Bamford. This was dated 1228, in the "Pipe Rolls of Suffolk", during the reign of King Henry 111rd, and known as "The Frenchman", 1216 - 1272. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was sometimes known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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