Qvarforth is a
surname
In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community.
Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...
whose origins may have begun in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. Qvarforth, or one of its derivatives, is a surname used in
Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...
, Germany,
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
and other areas located in northern Europe.
Its origin can be traced back to
Anders Qvarfordt born in
Querfod,
Saxony
Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
(Germany).
This may have later developed into the surname of two melters, Mikkel and Anders Querfood, who worked at Baerums factory in
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
in 1610.
The name Qvarfordt is first mentioned in 1627 from an area then known as
Risinge until 1942, since 1971
Finspång Municipality
Finspång Municipality (''Finspångs kommun'') is a municipality in Östergötland County in Sweden. Its seat is located in the town of Finspång, with some 13,000 inhabitants.
Nature
The municipality refers to itself as Sweden's most lake-den ...
,
Östergötland County
Östergötland County ( sv, Östergötlands län) is a county or ''län'' in southeastern Sweden. It has land borders with the counties of Kalmar to the southeast, Jönköping to the southwest, Örebro to the northwest, and Södermanland to the n ...
,
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
, with Anders Qvarfordt. He and his nine children are mentioned in a court order in Risinge 1695. Five of his six sons were
blacksmith
A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...
s and two of his three daughters were married to blacksmiths.
The theory is that the family is German and not from
Wallonia
Wallonia (; french: Wallonie ), or ; nl, Wallonië ; wa, Waloneye or officially the Walloon Region (french: link=no, Région wallonne),; nl, link=no, Waals gewest; wa, link=no, Redjon walone is one of the three regions of Belgium—alo ...
. There is a town in Saxony called
Querfurt
Querfurt () is a town in the Saalekreis district, or ''Kreis'', in southern Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is located in a fertile area on the Querne, west from Merseburg. In 2020, the town had a population of 10,454. The town Querfurt consists of Q ...
and it is believed that descendants of Querfurt as they moved throughout got the name "Franz of Querfurt", which over time turned into varieties of Querfurt in the different regions. There are 16 different varieties of Qvarfordt. The form Qvarfordt makes up about half of all instances of the broader name.
Qvarforth comes in many varieties:
References
{{reflist
*Baerums verks historie, Yngvar Hauge,Oslo 1953
*Kurt G Trägårdh (Barn III:5, s)
*Homepage for a family lin
Surnames