Show ContentsArchard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Archard surname is derived form the Old English word "ortgeard," or "orceard," a compound of "wort," or "plant," and "geard," meaning "yard." It is thought to have originally been a topographic name for someone who lived by an orchard, or perhaps an occupational name for a fruit grower. There were also several places named Orchard, such as those in Devon and Somerset, and the surname may have been taken on from a place name.

Early Origins of the Archard family

The surname Archard was first found in Devon, where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Hartland Abbey in that shire.

"The barton, [of Mitchell-Morton, in the parish of Launcelles, Cornwall] belonged for many years to the Orchard family, is now vested in the Rev. Thomas H. Morrison, as devisee of the late Paul Orchard, Esq." [1]

Although the origin of this name may seem obvious to most, the real source lies far from fruit trees. Far to the north, the Urquharts were hereditary Sheriffs of Cromarty. This difficult Gaelic name posed problems for even the Scottish tongue.

In Loch Ness, Scotland, their seat, they were frequently called Orchar or Orchard. Hence, the name Orchard earned the right to be a sept of the great Clan Urquhart. In the 14th century it is generally believed that a branch of this clan moved south to Devon and became seated at Hartland Abbey.

Early History of the Archard family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Archard research. Another 74 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1410, 1468, 1504 and 1750 are included under the topic Early Archard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Archard Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Orchard, Orchar, Orcher, Orcutt, Orcherd, Augher and others.

Early Notables of the Archard family

More information is included under the topic Early Archard Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Archard family to Ireland

Some of the Archard family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 41 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Archard migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Archard Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Samuel Archard, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1640 [2]
Archard Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Arnold Archard, who arrived in Virginia in 1887 [2]
  • Joyce Archard, who landed in Virginia in 1887 [2]

Australia Archard migration to Australia +

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

Archard Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Charles Archard, (Orchard), British Convict who was convicted in Wiltshire, England for life for theft, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 27th October 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [3]


  1. Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
  2. 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)
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel


Houseofnames.com on Facebook