Biard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France

The Biard surname derives from the Old English words "bi," meaning "beside" and "yerd," meaning "enclosure." Thus the name is thought to have been originally used to describe someone who lived near a closed in yard. 1

The Byatt variant has a slightly different derivation, "dweller by the gate," from the Old English "geat" or Middle English "yat, gate." 1

Early Origins of the Biard family

The surname Biard was first found in Sussex, where Thomas Byerd, was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, 1296. 1 Byard's Leap is a small hamlet, west of Cranwell in Lincolnshire, which is associated with various legends. The hamlet is associated with the activities of the Knights Templar.

Bayard is a magic bay horse in the legends from 12th century Europe derived from the chansons de geste. He is renowned for his strong spirit and is able to adjust his size to his riders.

Nicholas Byate was found in Colchester, Essex in 1297 and later in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 1

Early History of the Biard family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Biard research. Another 161 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1557, 1561, 1570, 1574, 1602, 1625, 1638, 1642 and 1643 are included under the topic Early Biard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Biard Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Biard have been found, including Byart, Byard, Biard, Byatt and others.

Early Notables of the Biard family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

John Biard was a London bookseller in 1643. This name occurs in the imprint to a political squib, printed without date, but probably in 1643, A Brief Dialogue between Zelotophit … and Superstition … L...

Biard Ranking

In France, the name Biard is the 1,494^th most popular surname with an estimated 3,913 people with that name. 2

Biard migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Biard, or a variant listed above:

Biard Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Leon Biard, who arrived in Mississippi in 1889 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Biard (post 1700) +

Captain Forrest R. "Tex" Biard (1912-2009), American codebreaker and linguist during WWII
Auguste Francois Biard (1799-1882), French genre painter
Joel Biard, Professor at the university François-Rabelais in the department of Philosophy
Francois-Auguste Biard (1799-1882), French Painter

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)