Berard Family Crest and Name History

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Berard PDF Surname History


The Ancient History Of The Distinguished Surname Berard

Berard

Contents

Berard history with Berard Family Crest
Surname Notables

About Family Crests

Berard Products

Origins Available: English, French

Where did the English Berard family come from? What is the English coat of arms/family crest? When did the Berard family first arrive in the United States? Where did the various branches of the family go? What is the history of the family name?

The surname Berard is derived from a nickname in the Old French. A broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, nickname surnames referred to a characteristic of the first person who used the name. They can describe the bearer's favored style of clothing, appearance, habits, or character.

In the pre-Christian era, many pagan gods and demi-gods were believed to be a mixture of animals and humans, such as the Greek god Pan who was the god of flocks and herds and was represented as a man with the legs, horns and ears of a goat. In the Middle Ages, anthropomorphic ideas, which attributed human qualities and form to gods or animals, were held about the characters of other living creatures. They were based on the creature's habits. Moreover, these associations were reflected in folk tales, mythology, and legends that portrayed animals behaving as humans. The Old French nickname Berard, meant someone who was "as strong as a bear" having derived from Old French nickname berart.

The Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules, and therefore, Breton surnames have many spelling variations. Latin and French, which were the official court languages, were also influential on the spelling of surnames. The spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules. Therefore, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England after the Norman Conquest, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. The name has been spelled Berard, Barrard, Berad and others.

First found in Brittany, where they held a family seat from very ancient times. They held a family seat in that province at Demaine where they were nobility from about the times of the Norman invasion of England in 1066 A.D.

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More about the Berard History...

Please remember that this page is only a small extract of our complete history that includes:

Ancient origin of the name (usually pre-1100)
Known spelling variations
Early movement of the family name during the Middle Ages
Noteworthy bearers from the 1500-1600s
First settlers to North America
Notable contemporary bearers of the name
A description and/or full color picture of the Coat of Arms, Crest, and Motto (where available)

Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Berard family to immigrate North America: Francois Berard, who was settled in Quebec in 1748; and a Berard who sailed to Philadelphia in 1796.

For more information on the last name Berard, the PDF Surname History is available for purchase as well as other products.

Some noteworthy people of the name Berard

Costan W Berard, American physician
Bryan Wallace Berard (b. 1977), American, professional (NHL) ice hockey player
Joseph Frédéric Bérard (1789-1828), French physician and philosopher
Victor Bérard (1864-1931), French classical scholar
Léon Bérard (1876-1960), French politician and lawyer with l'Académie française
Armand Berard (1904-1989), French Diplomat, Ambassador to the UN
André Bérard (b. 1940), Canadian businessman, President, Chief Operating Officer and Director of the National Bank of Canada
Christian Bérard (1902-1949), French painter and designer

Tell Me More About Family Crests

Family Crests: the Heraldic Artist

We have researched the Berard family crest in the most recognized sources. Before an artist or craftsman can render a family crest, it must exist. In other words the crest must have been designed and recorded by the heralds from time immemorial.

Heraldic designs matriculated by the lay-artist in many cases becomes uninspired, meretricious and even ugly...

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Family Crests: Timeline

Many of the symbols adopted into armory have been used since the time of the ancient Egyptians, but heraldry itself did not begin until the 11th century. In continental Europe, the most ancient recorded family crest was discovered upon the monumental effigy of a Count of Wasserburg in the church of St. Emeran, at Ratisobon, Germany...

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Family Crests: Elements

In the Berard coat of arms as in all coat of arms the crest is only one element of the full armorial achievement. Again the Family Crest is just part of the story of Coats of Arms or Heraldry. Heraldry is defined as the hereditary art or science of blazoning, the description is appropriate technical terms of Coats-of-Arms and other heraldic and armorial insignia, and is of very ancient origin...

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Family Crests and Genealogy: how they relate

We encourage you to study the Berard genealogy to find out if you descend from someone who bore a particular family crest. Anyone making a study of heraldry usually becomes interested in Genealogy or seeking legal claim to a particular family crest. No families, not even the royal houses, can make sound claim to the right to bear arms unless a proven connection is established through attested Genealogical records...

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Berard Family Crest Products

Anniversary

Anniversary products for the name Berard.

Apparel

Apparel displaying the family crest for the name Berard.

Armorial histories

Armorial histories for the name Berard.

Ceramics

Ceramics showing the Berard family crest.

Coat of Arms

Coat of Arms for the name Berard.

Downloads

Downloads with the coat of arms for the name Berard.

Family Crest

Family Crest for the name Berard.

Family Tree

Family Tree showing the Berard family crest.

Hand Painted Plaques

Hand Painted Plaques proudly displaying the Berard family crest.

Keychains

Keychains showing the Berard family crest.

Mouse pads

Mouse pads featuring the Berard family crest.

New Products

New Products featuring the family crest for the surname Berard.

Packages

Packages for the Berard family crest.

Plaques and Frames

Plaques and Frames emphasing the Berard family crest.

Surname Histories

Surname Histories for the name Berard.

Symbolism

Symbolism proudly displaying the Berard family crest.

Travel Mugs

Travel Mugs revealing the family crest for the surname Berard.

Popular Products
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The Berard Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Berard Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.