Contents [hide]

Bard History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Bard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The ancient Scottish name Bard was first used by someone who worked as a poet, which was originally derived from the Gaelic word bard. 1

Early Origins of the Bard family

The surname Bard was first found in Lanarkshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Lannraig) a former county in the central Strathclyde region of Scotland, now divided into the Council Areas of North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, and the City of Glasgow, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

According to legend, William the Lion, King of Scotland was alarmed by the approach of a wild boar, while hunting in one of the southwestern counties. Baird, who was a follower in the King's train, came forward to assist the King. Baird needed only a single arrow to slay the boar, and was rewarded for this service by the king. He was granted large areas of lands, and was assigned a Coat of Arms on which there is a wild boar. King William also commanded that Baird would have as his motto Dominus Fecit (The Lord made). In the Churchyard of Banff, Scotland, Baird's Arms may still be seen in an ancient monument to the Bairds of Auchmeddan.

Early History of the Bard family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bard research. Another 143 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1616, 1620, 1632, 1647, 1654, 1656, 1658, 1667, 1686, 1690, 1697, 1698, 1715, 1717, 1736, 1737, 1739, 1740, 1743, 1745, 1748, 1753, 1759 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Bard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bard Spelling Variations

In the era before dictionaries, there were no rules governing the spelling or translation of names or any other words. Consequently, there are an enormous number of spelling variations in Medieval Scottish names. Bard has appeared as Baird, Bard, Barde, Baard, Bayard, Beard and many more.

Early Notables of the Bard family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

Henry Bard, 1st Viscount Bellomont (1616-1656), an English Royalist; Charles Rupert Bard, 2nd Viscount Bellomont (1647-1667); and Sir John Baird of Newbyth, Lord Newbyth (1620-1698), a Scottish advoca...

Bard Ranking

In the United States, the name Bard is the 4,836^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 2 However, in France, the name Bard is ranked the 1,414^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,053 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Bard family to Ireland

Some of the Bard family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bard migration to the United States +

The freedom, opportunity, and land of the North American colonies beckoned. There, Scots found a place where they were generally free from persecution and where they could go on to become important players in the birth of new nations. Some fought in the American War of Independence, while others went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these Scottish settlers have been able to recover their lost national heritage in the last century through highland games and Clan societies in North America. Among them:

Bard Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Robert Bard, who landed in Virginia in 1635 4
Thomas Bard, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 4
John Bard, who arrived in Virginia in 1651 4
James Bard, who arrived in Virginia in 1663 4

Bard Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Peter Bard, who arrived in New Jersey in 1713 4
Jean Bard, who landed in Louisiana in 1719 4
Johan Georg Bard, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1733 4
George Bard, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1733 4
Martin Bard, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1739 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bard Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Joseph Bard, aged 38, who arrived in New York in 1812 4
Rachel Bard, aged 18, who arrived in America in 1822 4
Thomas Bard, aged 28, who landed in America in 1822 4
John T Bard, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1853 4
Margar Bard, aged 10, who landed in New York in 1854 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bard migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Bard Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Samuel Bard, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Somersetshire" in 1839 5
Julia Bard, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Somersetshire" in 1839 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Bard (post 1700) +

Allen J. Bard (1933-2024), American chemist awarded the Priestley Medal in 2002 and the 2008 Wolf Prize in Chemistry
Ralph Austin Bard (1884-1975), American Assistant Secretary of the Navy, 1941–1944, and Under Secretary, 1944–1945
Antoine Marie Bard, French Divisional General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 6
Maria Bard (1900-1944), German stage actress
Alexander Bard (b. 1961), Swedish philosopher and musician
Bard Farrell, American Democratic Party politician, Secretary of Wyoming Democratic Party, 1937 7

The Bard Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Dominus fecit
Motto Translation: The Lord made.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SOMERSETSHIRE 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Somersetshire.htm
Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, February 11) Antoine Bard. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html