Surname Ganfort - Meaning and Origin

Ganfort: What does the surname Ganfort mean?

The last name Ganfort is a toponymic surname, which means it is derived from the name of a place of origin. It is believed to have originated from the place name Ganfort, which is a small town located in the Bourbonnais region of France.

The name Ganfort likely originated from the early French word “ganf” meaning "end". This may refer to the location of the town in the area or the characteristics of it. It also could have derived from the Old French word "ganforcier" meaning "to enclose" or "bound".

Many of the individuals with the name Ganfort can be traced back to a small hamlet of the same name in the commune of Saint-Victor, in the province of Auvergne in late 16th century France. These individuals with the surname have since then spread to many other countries, including the United States, Canada and Australia.

Today, many individuals with the surname Ganfort are primarily concentrated in France, the United States, England, Canada, Germany, and Spain. It is not a very common last name, as it only appears to be held by approximately 580 people globally, the majority in France.

Regardless of origins, Ganfort remains a proud surname held by many people across the world.

Ganfort: Where does the name Ganfort come from?

The last name Ganfort is most commonly found in the Latin American countries of Brazil and Mexico. It is rare in other parts of the world.

In Brazil, the last name Ganfort is very common, especially in the states of Minas Gerais and Bahia. In Mexico, it is most often found in the states of Chihuahua, Guerrero, and Zacatecas.

Ganfort is likely derived from the Portuguese and Spanish forename "Ganpo". It was likely popularized in Spain during the 15th and 16th centuries when the earliest Ganforts began to settle in Spain and Portugal.

Ganforts in Spain typically lived in the regions of Castilla, La Mancha, Navarra, and Granada, although some remained nomadic. Most of the Ganforts in Spain were farmers or day laborers, working small plots of land near settlements.

In Mexico, the Ganfort surname is not as common as it is in Brazil. It is most commonly found in the states of Chihuahua, Guerrero, and Zacatecas. Ganforts from Mexico typically trace their ancestry to Mexico's many indigenous groups. It is also possible that some Ganforts in Mexico are descended from people who migrated from Spain or Portugal.

Overall, the Ganfort surname is most commonly found in Brazil and Mexico, and it is very rare in other parts of the world.

Variations of the surname Ganfort

Ganfort is a surname of German origin. The name has several variants including Ganford, Gansfort, Gansford, Gansfurt, Gansfurth, Gansforte and Gansforth. These spellings are sometimes used interchangeably depending on the location and period of the name's origin.

Ganford is a commonly used variant in the United States and the United Kingdom. It can derived from the German river name "Gan" meaning "Ganges" or "Gand" meaning "meadow", combined with "ford", meaning shallow river crossings. This explains why the surname is usually American-associated with fording dry river beds in the west.

Gansfort is a commonly used variant in locations such as the Netherlands and Germany. This variation usually refers to a high place in a river valley or to a ford near a fortified place, from Old High German forza, meaning ‘fortress’, combined with fort ‘one who lives near a fortified place’.

Gansford is also a commonly used variant in locations such as Australia and New Zealand. It originates from the combination of the Old Dutch gan meaning ‘green’, and Dutch/German ford, meaning ‘shallow river crossing’. This combination likely refers to an area in the river valley where it is green or fertile.

No matter where they originate from, all of the variants of Ganfort have the same meaning, as they all describe a shallow river crossing near a fortified place. Surnames of the same origin include Ganforti, Gansfort, Ganiefort, Gansvelt, Gansfouer, and Ganser.

Famous people with the name Ganfort

• Francis Ganfort: Taiwanese actor and singer.
• Maria Ganfort: Swedish actress.
• Gaetano Ganfort: Italian actor.
• Danilo Ganfort: Brazilian footballer.
• Enrico Ganfort: Italian painter.
• Steve Ganfort: American politician.
• Alberto Ganfort: Argentine composer.
• Domenico Ganfort: Italian composer.
• Alejandro Ganfort: Chilean actor.
• John Ganfort: British actor.
• Dario Ganfort: Argentinian footballer.
• Mark Ganfort: American boxer.
• Piero Ganfort: Italian football coach.
• Michael Ganfort: Australian author and film director.
• Riccardo Ganfort: Italian musician.
• Hilary Ganfort: American actress.
• Sergio Ganfort: Argentinian rugby player.
• Maureen Ganfort: Irish actress.
• Fred Ganfort: American actor.
• Emma Ganfort: American singer-songwriter.

Other surnames

Ganford