Contents [hide]

Minard History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Minard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Ireland
Scotland

Today's generation of the Minard family bears a name that was brought to England by the wave of emigration that was started by the Norman Conquest of 1066. It comes from the Germanic personal name Mainard, which is composed of the elements magin, which means strength, and hard, which means hardy, brave or strong. 1

Two sources note entries in the Domesday Book of 1086. 2 The first notes that " 'Mainardus homo Rogeri Pictavensis,' is mentioned in the Domesday as an under-tenant in Essex and Lincolnshire; and either he or another of the name held Wilts, Hants, and Norfolk, before the Conquest. The early notices of the name are scanty. 'In the hydarium of Henry III. Maynard was certified to hold one hide and half in 'Cherleton' (Charlton), but as the paramountcy of the estate is withheld, no clue is furnished for tracing it to the Domesday lord." 3

The second notes Meinardus uigil in Norfolk in the Domesday Book. 4 Presumably both entries are related but translations from ancient Latin to English are not consistent.

Early Origins of the Minard family

The surname Minard was first found in Suffolk at Hoxne, a parish, and the head of a union, in the hundred of Hoxne. "Hoxne Hall, for many generations the residence of the Maynard family. In the north aisle [of the church] is a monument, with a group of figures finely sculptured in marble, to the memory of Sir Thomas Maynard, erected in 1742, by Christopher Stanley, Esq. A school, now in union with the National Society, was founded and endowed by Lord Maynard." 5

"The pedigree of the Viscounts Maynard commences in the 14th century with John Mainard of Axminster in Devonshire, who served in France under the Black Prince, and was appointed Constable of Brest in 1352. Sixth in descent from him we find another John Maynard, sitting in Queen Mary's first Parliament as Burgess for St. Albans, and numbered among thirty-nine stout Protestants who were indicted in the King's Bench for absenting themselves from the House rather than join in accepting the Pope's authority in the realm." 3

Early record were also found in Scotland. "Bishop Robert was about to set the municipal machinery of St. Andrews in motion (c. 1144) he obtained from the king the services of Mainard, a burgess of Berwick: 'Be it known that with the licence of David our king, I have constituted St. Andrews a burgh and that with the king's consent I have made Mainard the Fleming (Matnardum Flandrensem) provost of this burgh'. Robert Mainard was one of the witnesses to a charter by John de Dundemor to the Priory of May in 1260." 6

Early History of the Minard family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Minard research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1180, 1577, 1589, 1602, 1611, 1614, 1623, 1635, 1638, 1640, 1641, 1642, 1647, 1653, 1657, 1660, 1662, 1663, 1679, 1684, 1685, 1690, 1699, 1718, 1739, 1740, 1751, 1763, 1769 and 1775 are included under the topic Early Minard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Minard Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Maynard, Mainard and others.

Early Notables of the Minard family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was William Maynard, 1st Baron Maynard (c.1589-1640), an English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Essex (1635-1640), Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire (1640) and Custos Rotulorum of Essex in 1640; William Maynard, 2nd Baron Maynard (1623-1699); Banastre Maynard, 3rd Baron Maynard (c 1642-1718), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Essex (1663-1679); Sir William Maynard, 1st Baronet (1641-1685), an English...
Another 63 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Minard Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Minard Ranking

In the United States, the name Minard is the 8,267^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 7 However, in France, the name Minard is ranked the 2,572^nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,500 - 3,000 people with that name. 8

Migration of the Minard family to Ireland

Some of the Minard family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Minard migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Minard or a variant listed above:

Minard Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Minard, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1658 9

Minard Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Louis Minard, aged 15, who landed in Louisiana in 1719 9
Antoine Minard, who arrived in New York in 1798 9
Francis Minard, who landed in New York in 1798 9

Minard Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas A Minard, who arrived in America in 1801 9

Minard migration to Australia +

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

Minard Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Minard, aged 28, a farm labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Caucasian" 10

Contemporary Notables of the name Minard (post 1700) +

Joseph M. Minard (1932-2022), American politician, Member of the West Virginia Senate, representing the 12th district from 1990 until 1994, and again from 1998 until 2013
Abel Minard (1814-1871), American industrialist and entrepreneur
Linda Minard, born Linda Maxwell, Korean-born, American figure competitor, actress and fitness model
Ricky Donell Minard Jr. (b. 1982), American professional NBA basketball player
Dr. Levi "the King of Pain" Minard, from Hants County, Nova Scotia, creator of Minard's Liniment in the 1860s which was seen widespread throughout the Maritime provinces and in Newfoundland
Sébastien Minard (b. 1982), French professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam ALM
Christopher Minard (b. 1981), Canadian AHL ice hockey player
Michael Edward Roger "Mike" Minard (b. 1976), retired Canadian professional NHL ice hockey goaltender who played for the Edmonton Oilers
Charles Joseph Minard (1781-1870), French civil engineer, best known for his work in the field of information graphics
Minard Harder, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 14th District, 1870 11

The Minard 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: Manus justa nardus
Motto Translation: A just hand is a precious ointment.

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 2 of 3
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"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)
South Australian Register Tuesday 26 April 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Caucasian 1853. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/caucasian1853.shtml
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html