Taft
/tæft/noun
A surname and proper name, most famously associated with U.S. President William Howard Taft.
Did you know?The surname Taft is generally treated as a variant of the medieval English surname Toft, which referred to someone living near a homestead or cultivated plot.
Etymological Timeline
Old Norse
Old Norse
topt
“A homestead or plot of ground, especially the site of a dwelling.”
Middle English
Middle English
toft
“A homestead, dwelling site, or piece of land surrounding a house.”
Medieval England
English
Toft
“A habitational surname for someone associated with a place called Toft or living at a homestead.”
Late Middle English
English
Taft
“A variant spelling of the surname Toft, shaped by regional pronunciation and spelling variation.”
17th Century
English
Taft
“An established English family surname carried to New England by immigrant families.”
Modern English
English
Taft
“A surname and prominent American proper name, especially associated with William Howard Taft, the 27th U.S. president.”