Ford (surname)


The surname Ford has several origins. In some cases it originated as a name for someone who lived near a ford, and is therefore derived from the Old English and Middle English ford. In some cases, the surname is derived from places named Ford. Examples of such places include Ford in Northumberland, a place in Somerset, Ford in Shropshire, Ford in West Sussex, and Forde in Dorset.
In other cases, the surname is sometimes an anglicised form of three Irish surnames. Two such surnames are Mac Giolla na Naomh, a name meaning "son of Gilla na Naomh"; and Mac Conshámha, a name meaning "son of Conshnámha". These surnames were anglicised Ford because their final syllable was once erroneously thought to be the Irish áth. Another Irish surname anglicised Ford is Ó Fuartháin, a name meaning "descendant of Fuarthán". The personal name Fuartháin, derived from the Irish fuar, was once taken to represent the Irish fuarathán, which led the name to be erroneously translated "ford". The former two Irish surnames were borne by septs centred in the province of Connacht, whilst the latter was borne by a sept centred in County Cork.
In some cases the surname Ford is an americanized form of like-sounding Jewish surnames, or else a translated form of the German Fürth. Early instances of the surname Ford include de la forda in the eleventh century, æt Fordan in the twelfth-century, de la Forthe in the thirteenth-century, and Foorde and de Furd in the fifteenth century. The surname Ford, when found in Ireland, may be of English or Irish origin since many Ford families have immigrated to Ireland at various times in history. For example, a particular noted family of the name in County Meath emigrated from Devon in the fourteenth century. In Ireland, birth records for the year 1890 reveal that the surname Ford was much less common than the variant Forde.

A

  • Aiden Ford, a fictional character from the television show Stargate Atlantis
  • Alan Ford , English actor
  • Alan Ford , American swimmer
  • Alan Ford, Italian comics character
  • Aleem Ford, American-Puerto Rican basketball player
  • Aleksander Ford, Polish film director
  • Alphonso Ford, American basketball player
  • Andrew Ford, several people
  • Andy Ford, English association football player and manager
  • Anna Ford, British journalist and newsreader
  • Arthur Ford, several people

    B

  • Ben Ford , American baseball player
  • Ben Ford, American chef
  • Ben Ford , British politician
  • Betty Ford, wife of former United States president Gerald Ford, and founder of the Betty Ford Center
  • Boris Ford, Indian-born British literary critic, writer, editor and educationist
  • Brian J. Ford, English independent scientist
  • Bruce Ford, several people
  • Budd S. Ford, American politician from Maryland
  • Byington Ford, American, Pebble Beach and Carmel Valley developer, aviator, son of Tirey L. Ford

    C

  • Carole Ann Ford, English actress
  • Cheryl Ford, American basketball player
  • Christine Blasey Ford, American clinical psychology professor
  • Christopher Ford, American screenwriter
  • Clare Ford, English diplomat
  • Clay Ford, American politician
  • Clementine Ford, American actress
  • Clementine Ford , Australian writer
  • Clint Ford, American actor and voice-over artist
  • Clinton Ford , British singer
  • Clinton B. Ford, American investor, musician and astronomer
  • Cody Ford, American football player
  • Colin Ford, American actor and voice actor
  • Colin Ford , British history of photography and museum director
  • Colt Ford, American Hick-Hop Artist
  • Colton Ford, American singer and actor
  • Constance Ford, American actress and model
  • Curt Ford, American baseball player

    D

  • David Ford , American actor
  • David Ford , English footballer
  • David Ford , Canadian whitewater slalom kayaker
  • David Ford , British singer-songwriter
  • David Ford born 1951, former Leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, and Minister for Justice.
  • David F. Ford, Anglican theologian
  • David Robert Ford, British soldier and diplomat, former Chief Secretary of Hong Kong
  • Dean Ford, stage name of Thomas McAleese, Scottish singer and songwriter, member of the band Marmalade
  • Debbie Ford, American self-help writer
  • Debra Ford, American colorectal surgeon and academic administrator
  • Desmond Ford, Australian Christian speaker and author
  • Don Ford, American basketball player
  • Donald Ford, Scottish footballer
  • Donald E. Ford, American science fiction editor
  • Doug Ford, current Premier of Ontario
  • Doug Ford Sr., Canadian politician

    E

  • E. B. Ford, British ecological geneticist
  • Edgar Ford, English cricketer
  • Edsel Ford, American businessman, president of Ford Motor Company, son of Henry Ford
  • Eileen Ford, American model agency executive and co-founder of Ford Models
  • Elena Ford, American director within the Ford Motor Company, great-great-granddaughter of Henry Ford
  • Emile Ford, West Indian-born musician and sound engineer

    F

  • Ford Madox Ford, English novelist and publisher
  • Francis Ford , English cricketer
  • Francis Ford Coppola, American film director, producer, and screenwriter
  • Frankie Ford, American singer
  • Franklin Lewis Ford, American historian
  • Fred Ford , American football halfback
  • Frederick W. Ford, American Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission

    G

  • Gene Ford, American baseball player
  • Gene Ford , American baseball player
  • George Henry Ford, South African natural history illustrator working in Britain
  • G. M. Ford, American author
  • Gerald Ford, 38th president of the United States
  • Gerald J. Ford, American banker
  • Gerard W. Ford, American businessman who co-founded Ford Modeling Agency
  • Gina Ford, British writer on parenting methods
  • Glenn Ford, Canadian-American actor
  • Glyn Ford, British politician
  • Gordon Onslow Ford, British artist
  • G. Sarsfield Ford, American jurist
  • Greg Ford, multiple people

    H

  • Harold Ford Sr., American politician
  • Harold Ford Jr., American politician
  • Harriet Ford, American actress and playwright
  • Harrison Ford, American actor
  • Harrison Ford , American silent film actor
  • Henry Ford, American industrialist, founder of the Ford Motor Company
  • * For others, see Henry Ford
  • Holden Ford, a fictional character from psychological thriller Mindhunter
  • Hugh Alastair Ford, Australian ornithologist

    I

  • Isaiah Ford, American football player

    J

  • Jack Ford, American TV reporter and host
  • Jack Ford , American educator and politician
  • "Jack" John Gardner Ford, American businessman and politician, son of Gerald Ford
  • Jaclyn Ford, American politician
  • JaMeesia Ford, American sprinter
  • James Ford , Kentucky criminal gang leader
  • James W. Ford, African American politician and Communist Party USA vice presidential candidate
  • Jaylan Ford, American football player
  • Jeremiah D. M. Ford, American college professor at Harvard
  • Jeremy Ford , American chef
  • Jerome Ford, American football player
  • Joe Ford, multiple people
  • John Ford, multiple people
  • Jonathan Ford, multiple people
  • Jordan Ford, American basketball player
  • Julian Ralph Ford, Australian ornithologist

    K

  • Kate Ford, English actress
  • Keith Ford, American football player
  • Kelly J. Ford, American novelist
  • Ken Ford , American football player
  • Ken Ford , American jazz violinist
  • Ken Ford , British sculptor
  • Kenneth M. Ford, American computer scientist
  • Kenneth W. Ford , American businessman who established Roseburg Forest Products
  • Kenneth W. Ford, American physicist, teacher and author
  • Kira Ford, a fictional character from Power Rangers Dino Thunder.

    L

  • L. R. Ford Jr., American mathematician
  • Lalatina Dustiness Ford, a fictional character from the light novel and anime KonoSuba
  • Larry Ford , American football player
  • Lester R. Ford, American mathematician
  • Len Ford, American professional football player
  • Lew Ford, American professional baseball player
  • Lita Ford, British-born singer
  • Loretta Ford, American nurse
  • Louis Ford, English businessman, football administrator and referee
  • Louis Ford , Welsh footballer
  • Louise Ford, British comedian and actress
  • Louise Ford, British film editor
  • Luke Ford, Canadian-Australian actor

    M

  • Malcolm Webster Ford, American athlete and journalist
  • Mark Ford , English footballer
  • Melbourne H. Ford, U.S. Representative from Michigan
  • Melyssa Ford, Canadian model and actress
  • Michael Ford, several people
  • Mike Ford, several people
  • Mick Ford, British actor and playwright
  • Monica Ford, American socialite

    N

  • Nick Ford, American football player

    P

  • Paris Ford, American football player
  • Parker Ford , American ice hockey player
  • Patricia Ford, multiple people
  • Patrick Ford, multiple people
  • Paul Ford, American actor
  • Paul Leicester Ford, American novelist
  • Penny Ford, American singer
  • Poona Ford, American football player

    R

  • Richard Ford, several people, including:
  • *Richard Ford, American writer
  • Robben Ford, American guitarist
  • Robert Ford, several people
  • Rowan Ford, American murder victim
  • Rudy Ford, American football player
  • Russ Ford, American baseball player
  • Russell Ford, Australian hockey player
  • Ryan Ford, several people

    S

  • Sallie Rochester Ford, American writer, newspaper editor
  • Seabury Ford, American politician
  • Seth Porter Ford, American physician in the Kingdom of Hawaii
  • Simon Ford, English footballer
  • Stanley H. Ford, United States Army General
  • Steven Ford, American actor, son of Gerald Ford
  • Susan Ford, American author, photojournalist, daughter of Gerald Ford