How Did The Family Surname Get From LANKFARD to LANKFORD?

I can't recall when I first started noticing my mother's family surname. The Lankford surname had been spelled many ways over the centuries. LANGFORD, LAUNKFORD, LANFERD, LANDFORD, LANKFORT.  I've always thought the spelling was LANKFORD.

For some time now I've been thinking about the LANKFORD spelling. I can't recall when I first saw the LANKFARD spelling. It might have been on my Grandparents Robert and Charlotta's tombstones around 1991. I was looking for their grave sites.

As I continued to search, I came across some more info. My Grandpa's parents' (Leo and Mary) surname was spelled LANKFARD on their tombstone. I think that there was something to that.

As I did some more research on the LANFORD brothers' World War 1 and 2 Draft Reg Card, I came across the surname. Most of them had their surname spelled or signatures LANFARD. There were about two occasions when the name was spelled LANFORD.

There were two LANKFORD sisters Anna Alice (Smith) and Lula (Madison) who had their maiden name spelled LANKFARD on their marriage record. What's the odds of that? There has to be some reason why the surname was spelled LANKFARD. But what?

I wondered why other cousins spelled their surname LANKFARD. Cousin, Robert Lewis Lankfard Sr. told my that his father, Robert, (my Uncle) told him that the surname was spelled LANKFARD.

Last year, I spoke with cousin Leo Lankford the 3rd about the surname. He didn't know the reason behind the spelling. Perhaps when the LANFARD brothers, Louis, Frederick and Nym went to New York, the surname was changed. Who knows?

It could have been how the name was pronounced. Or perhaps how people spelled the surname. I haven't heard of the source of the reason why the different spellings. I'm more to believe that the correct spelling was LANKFARD. It reminds a mystery in why the surname was changed.

Thanks for reading.
How  Did The Family Surname Get From LANKFARD to LANKFORD?
I don't know....
Staying On The Family History Journey,
Susan