Hanfrey

Recorded as Anfray, Anfrey, Enfrey, Hanfrey, Henfrie, Henfre, Henfrey, Henferry, and possibly others, this is a very rare surname. It is probably Anglo-Saxon, but if so is not apparently recorded in any of the modern published dictionaries of surnames both for the World, and for more particularly, the British Isles. However as Henfrey it is recorded, although without any confirming references in one of the earliest of all surname dictionaries, the famous "Patronymica Brittania" of 1847. Here the origin is given as the pre 7th century Germanic personal name "Enfrid." Personal names of the period ending in "frid" meaning peace, are relatively popular, but we have not been able to positively identify such a personal name commencing in "En" in either German or English records. In later Middle English "en or in" is used as a short form of "kin" meaning near relative, and "Hen" is used as a short form of Hans or Johannes, but then as a suffix not a prefix. What we can say is that however the surname is spelt today, every surname had an origin and a meaning, and this must also apply to this one. Early examples of surname recordings taken from surviving registers of the city of London include: Eliza Henfrey who married Francis Sainsbury at the church of St Mary-le-Bone, on November 8th 1669, John Hanfrey, a witness at St Sepulchre church, on July 3rd 1701, and John Anfrey a witness at St Mary Magadalene Bermondsey, on May 12th 1813.