This is a very rare variant spelling of the Olde English habitational name "Woodford", which can mean "the shallow river crossing in the wood", but may equally mean "a river crossed by wood", i.e. a bridge. The name is found as a placename in Lancashire, Cheshire, Cornwall, Essex, Wiltshire and Northamptonshire. The early name recordings include Geoffrey de Wodeford in the 1327, Somerset Pipe Rolls whilst the name was also found early in Scotland as Robert de Wodforde of Roxburgh in circa 1330. The modern spellings include Thomas Woodforde (1596, London), Thomas Woodfard (1626, Holborn), Susannah Wadford (1726, Westminster) whilst Mary Wadforth married Alex Crispin at St. Dunstans, Stepney on October 18th 1824. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Daniel de Wuduforde, which was dated 1196, The Oxford County Pipe Rolls, during the reign of King Richard I, 'The Lion Heart', 1189 - 1199. 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.