Herald History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

Early Origins of the Herald family

The surname Herald was first found in Argyllshire (Gaelic erra Ghaidheal), the region of western Scotland corresponding roughly with the ancient Kingdom of Dál Riata, in the Strathclyde region of Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Argyll and Bute.

The name in Anglo Saxon, signifies "The love of the army," From Har, an army, and hold, love. 1 Hence the name is often referred to as "powerful warrior." 2

Further to the south in England, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed: Agnes Harald, Oxfordshire; John Harald, Wiltshire; Reginald Haralt, Oxfordshire; and Roger Harold, Buckinghamshire. 3

Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls included: Robertus Harald; and Stephen Harald as holding lands there at that time. 3

Early History of the Herald family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Herald research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1566, 1626, 1685, 1799, 1825, 1834, 1851, 1881, 1883 and 1885 are included under the topic Early Herald History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Herald Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Harold, Harald, Harrell, Hirrell, Hurrell and others.

Early Notables of the Herald family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Francis Harold, O.F.M. (died 1685), an Irish Franciscan and historical writer. He was a native of Limerick, and member of the Franciscan order, to which his uncle, Luke Wadding, was the historiographer. Harold...
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Herald Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Herald Ranking

In the United States, the name Herald is the 7,969^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Herald family to Ireland

Some of the Herald family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 63 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Herald migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Herald Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johan Earah Herald, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1743 5
Yarah Christaf Herald, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1743 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Herald (post 1700) +

John Herald (1939-2005), American folk and bluegrass songwriter, solo and studio musician
Rob Herald, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for Texas State House of Representatives 97th District, 1992 6
Mernie Herald, American politician, American Labor Candidate for New York State Senate 48th District, 1946 6
William Herald (b. 1897), Australian Olympic freestyle swimmer
Herald E. Stringer, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Alaska Territory, 1952; Member of Alaska territorial House of Representatives 3rd District, 1953-54 7
Herald Samuel Frahm (1906-1977), American football halfback who played from 1932 to 1935
Rear Admiral Herald F. Stout (1903-1987), Commanding Officer of the destroyer USS Claxton during World War II, eponym of the destroyer USS Stout (DDG-55)
Herald Rea Cox (1907-1986), American bacteriologist
Herald Hefley, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Iowa State House of Representatives from Dallas County, 1950 8
Herald F. DeWeese, American politician, Prohibition Candidate for U.S. Representative from Michigan 8th District, 1960 9

Citations +

Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html