Pontefract in Yorkshire used to be called Pomfret by the Saxons. Pontefract is the old Roman name for the village and means 'broken bridge' in latin.
There are many versions of the name, Pumphrey, Pomfritt are 2.
We all come from the same root which is the name of the village.
There is ruined Pomfret Castle and the name is associated with the Lacey family who fought on the wrong side of the Civil War...hence the ruin..
There is a website and a tourist information centre for Pontefract which will give you more information.
There are many Pomfrets in the North of England in both Yorkshire Lancashire but it is rare outside the country.
There are many places named for Pomfret - several in the US. One is a 'prep' school in New England.
People still pronounce my name as Pomfrey
because they think it is French and I am sure that somewhere in your family history a Pomfret went to Ireland and someone wrote it down as Pomfrey and it stuck.
Lesley Pomfret.