Bolard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France

The name Bolard is rooted in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It is a name for someone who worked as a person who worked as a bull herder or a keeper of cattle. The surname Bolard is a name for the bull-herd, and is derived from the Old English word Bulluc, which literally means bullherder. 1

Another source notes a similar origin of the name: "bull-ward-either the man who presided over the sport of bull-baiting, or the one who had the care of the 'townbull.' " 2

Early Origins of the Bolard family

The surname Bolard was first found in Wiltshire where the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Geoffrey Bolhard as one of the first listings of the family. The same source listed Fulco Bulard as holding lands at that time in Kent. 3

In Suffolk, an earlier record of the family was found, that of Henry Buliard who was listed in the Feet of Fines for 1198. 4

One of the earliest records of the family in America was William Bullard (1594-1686), an early resident and two term Selectman in Dedham, Massachusetts. He was the eldest of four brothers who emigrated c. 1634-1635 and settled first at Watertown. All four brothers had issue. William was instrumental in the "planting of Dedham" and signed the social compact.

Early History of the Bolard family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bolard research. Another 219 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1198, 1273, 1275, 1500, 1524, 1672 and 1806 are included under the topic Early Bolard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bolard Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Bolard are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Bolard include: Bullard, Buliard, Bolhard, Bulard, Bulward and others.

Early Notables of the Bolard family

Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bolard Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bolard family

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Bolard or a variant listed above: Robert Bullard who arrived in New England in 1634 and Henry Bullard who sailed to Virginia in 1636. Major-General Robert Lee Bullard, who was born at Youngsboro in Alabama in 1861.

Contemporary Notables of the name Bolard (post 1700) +

Bolard More, American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in Port-au-Prince, 1932; Barcelona, 1938; Lagos, 1940; Zurich, 1943 5

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html