Contents [hide]

Hillard History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Hillard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Hillard first arose amongst the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from their having lived in Surrey. As a local name, it was derived from the local 'at the hill-garth' or 'hill-yard.' 1

"Hildyard, formerly Hildheard, [was] an ancient personal name. The family are said to have sprung from Robert Hildheard, of Normanby, Yorkshire, in the year 1109." 2

Alternatively, the name could have been derived from the Old German Hildigard, Hildiardis (f) ‘war stronghold’ 3

And finally, the name could also have been an occupational name for a hellier who was a roofer, tiler, or thatcher. 4

Early Origins of the Hillard family

The surname Hillard was first found in Surrey where the name was first listed as a forename, Hildiard de Trule in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1206. Hyldeiard (with no forename) was registered in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1228 and Robert Hildyard, Hiliard was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls for 1275 in Yorkshire. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Robert de Hildgard, Yorkshire; Robert de Hildyard, Yorkshire; Robert Hiliard, Yorkshire; Robert Hildeyerd, Yorkshire. "These four entries represent, no doubt, the same individual." 1

Early History of the Hillard family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hillard research. Another 157 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1109, 1485, 1537, 1602, 1612, 1619, 1640, 1660, 1670, 1685, 1689, 1690, 1716, 1729, 1743, 1746, 1781 and 1814 are included under the topic Early Hillard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hillard Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Hillard has appeared include Hilliard, Hildyard, Hillard, Hildheard and others.

Early Notables of the Hillard family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir Christopher Hildyard (d. 1602), whose tomb is in Church of St. German in Winestead, as well as a Hildyard, Sheriff of Nottingham. Nicholas Hilliard (1537-1619), was an English miniature painter, court painter to Elizabeth and to James I. His son, Lawrence Hilliard (d. 1640), English miniature painter continued his father's work. 5Thomas Hildeyard (1690-1746), was a Jesuit, of a respectable Lincolnshire...
Another 69 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hillard Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hillard Ranking

In the United States, the name Hillard is the 4,513^rd most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 6

Hillard migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Hillard arrived in North America very early:

Hillard Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mr. John Hillard, (Hillierd), who left England and arrived in Maryland in 1634 aboard the ship "Ark and Dove" 7
Mr. Charles Hillard, aged 22, who arrived in Virginia in 1634 aboard the ship "Bonaventure" coming via St. Domingo 8
William Hillard, who arrived in Virginia in 1654 9
Rebecca Hillard, who landed in Maryland in 1680 9
Richard Hillard, aged 19, who arrived in Virginia in 1684 9

Hillard Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Robert Hillard, aged 18, who landed in New York in 1854 9

Hillard migration to Australia +

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

Hillard Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mrs. Jane Hillard, (b. 1769), aged 84, Cornish settler departing from Deptford on 21st December 1852 aboard the ship "Monteagle" arriving in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 12th April 1853, she died 28th March 1853 10

Contemporary Notables of the name Hillard (post 1700) +

Harriett Low Hillard (1809-1877), American woman of letters and diarist
McKinley Hillard (1896-1977), American politician and judge, Member of the Virginia Senate from the 3rd district (1932-1954)
Robert E. Hillard (1917-2000), American co-founder of Fleishman-Hillard in St. Louis, Missouri in 1946
George Stillman Hillard (1808-1879), American lawyer and author, United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts (18/66-1870)
Charlie Hillard (1938-1996), American aerobatics pilot, the first American to win the world aerobatics title
Carole Hillard (1936-2007), American politician, the first woman to serve as Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota (1995-2003)
George S. Hillard (1808-1879), American politician, Member of Massachusetts State Senate, 1850; U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts, 1868-70 11
George B. Hillard, American politician, Prohibition Candidate for Presidential Elector for New York, 1896; Prohibition Candidate for New York State Senate 8th District, 1910 11
Elias B. Hillard, American politician, Representative from Connecticut 4th District, 1876 11
Earl W. Hillard, American politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Warren County, 1920 11
... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Burke, John and Burke, Sir Bernard, C.B. LL.D Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage. London: Harrison, 59, Pall Mall, 1865, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_victoria.pdf
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html