The surname Ford, found in England and Ireland, has two distinct origins. When found in England the name is a topographic name for someone who lived near a ford, Middle English, Old English ford, or a habitational name from one of the many places named with this word, such as Ford in Northumberland, Shropshire, and West Sussex, or Forde in Dorset. The name Ford in Ireland is an anglicized form of various Gaelic names, for example Mac Giolla na Naomh ‘son of Gilla na Naomh’ (a personal name meaning ‘servant of the saints’). The first written reference to the name is Bruman de la Ford in the "Book of Winton", Hampshire in 1066. One Charles Ford was an early emigrant to the American colonies, leaving London on the "Paule", in July 1635 bound for Virginia. Notable bearers of the surname Ford include Henry Ford the American Industrialist who brought the automobile to the mass market. Get this jewelry on a family crest today.