This is an Olde English locational name which derives from the Olde English "Straet" meaning "a Roman Road" and "Forda" a shallow crossing, or from a place called Startford, Stretford, or Startforth. The earliest recording of the place name would seem to be "Stretford" which appeared in a record called "The History of St. Cuthberts, Abbey", North Yorkshire. In the Domesday Book of 1086, the place is recorded as Stradford and later in 1104, Stredford, whilst later still in c.1380 it has become Strafforth. In 1755, John Starford of Leeds married Jane Fowler at Eston Church, near Middlesborough (then Yorkshire). The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Roger de Straforthe. which was dated 1273, The Pipe Rolls of County Buckingham. during the reign of King Edward I, The Hammer of the Scots, 1272 - 1307. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was 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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