Besnard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France
Germany

The Besnard surname first began to be used in the German state of Bavaria, some time after the 12th century, when hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules, and names that were derived from locations became particularly common. The family name Besnard is a local surname. Originally denoting the proprietorship of an estate or influence within a village, the German preposition von, which means from or of, used with local names, was taken as a mark of aristocracy. The surname Besnard was given to someone who lived in Bavaria. The Besnard family became prominent in local affairs and as a result, it acquired a distinguished reputation among the other noble families in Bavaria.

Early Origins of the Besnard family

The surname Besnard was first found in Bavaria, where the name Besnard made a great early contribution to the feudal society of early Europe. The name Besnard became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses where family members continued to play important roles in the savage tribal and national conflicts which resulted as each group sought to maximize its power and status in an ever changing territorial profile.

Early History of the Besnard family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Besnard research. Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1783 is included under the topic Early Besnard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Besnard Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Besnard include Besnard, Besnarde, Besnart, Besnarte, Bessnard, Bessnarde, Bessnart, Bessnarte, Basnard, Basnarde, Basnart, Basnarte, Bassnard, Bassnarde, Bassnart, Bassnarte, Baesnard, Baesnarde, Baesnart, Baesnarte, Baessnard, Baessnarde, Baessnart and many more.

Early Notables of the Besnard family

Prominent among members of the name Besnard in this period include

the von Besnard family of Bavaria

Besnard Ranking

In France, the name Besnard is the 288^th most popular surname with an estimated 13,771 people with that name. 1

Besnard migration to Canada +

The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from Bavaria who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. For many Bavarian tenant farmers, the chance to own their own land was a major incentive. So the widespread colonization of the United States began in 1650, when many immigrants from Germany settled in pockets in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. In Canada, German settlement centered in Ontario and the prairie provinces. Among those of this surname listed in various historical records were:

Besnard Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Francoise Besnard, who arrived in Montreal, Que. in 1653
Francoise Besnard, who landed in Montreal in 1653
Rene Besnard, aged 24, who landed in Montreal in 1653
René Besnard, son of Jean and Madeleine, who married Marie Sédilot, daughter of Louis and Marie, in Trois-Rivières, Quebec on 2nd February 1661 2
Mathurin Besnard, son of Louis and Mathurine, who married Marguerite Viart, daughter of Pierre and Catherine, in Quebec on 11th October 1672 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Besnard Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

René Besnard, son of Mathurin and Marguerite, who married Anne Gibault, daughter of Jean and Anne, in Montreal, Quebec on 28th July 1710 2
Pierre-Louis Besnard, son of Gabriel and Geneviève, who married Jeanne Desry, daughter of Maurice and Madeleine, in Charlesbourg, Quebec on 27th July 1717 2
Joseph Besnard, son of Joseph and Marguerite, who married Marie Favreau, daughter of Mathurin and Madeleine, in Boucherville, Quebec on 27th July 1722 2
Jean Besnard, son of Claude and Marguerite, who married Marie-Madeleine Périllard, daughter of Nicolas and Jeanne, in Montreal, Quebec on 12th June 1724 2
Denis Besnard, son of Jean and Françoise, who married Marie Croquelois, daughter of Jacques and Françoise, in Montreal, Quebec on 27th July 1728 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Besnard migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Besnard Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Captain Besnard, Australian settler travelling from Sydney aboard the ship "Diana" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 11th July 1840 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Besnard (post 1700) +

Florent Besnard (b. 1984), French professional football player
Pierre Besnard (1886-1947), French revolutionary syndicalist
David Besnard (b. 1977), Australian race car driver
Paul-Albert Besnard (1849-1934), French Painter

Citations +

http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 1, Institut Drouin, 1958.
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html