| ![Show Contents]() Byard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The Byard 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 Byard familyThe surname Byard 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 Byard familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Byard 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 Byard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Byard Spelling VariationsUntil quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Byard include Byart, Byard, Biard, Byatt and others. Early Notables of the Byard familyNotables of this surname at this time include: - Libius Byard, who was a Canon of the 3rd prebend of Worcester (1561-1570)
Byard RankingIn the United States, the name Byard is the 15,252nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2
 Byard migration to the United States | + |
Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Byard or a variant listed above:
Byard Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Ann Byard, who arrived in Virginia in 1652 3
- Edward Byard, who landed in Virginia in 1658 3
Byard Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Adam Byard, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1736 3
Byard Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- M Byard, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1871 3
| Byard migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Byard Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
| Contemporary Notables of the name Byard (post 1700) | + |
- Paul Byard (1939-2008), American lawyer and an architect from New York City
- John Arthur "Jaki" Byard (1922-1999), American jazz pianist, jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger, born in Worcester, Massachusetts
- Joey Byard (b. 1975), English professional footballer
- Sir Thomas Byard (d. 1800), English Naval commander, who fought at the Battle of Camperdown in 1797 in the French Revolutionary Wars, and eponym of a Royal Navy WWII Frigate
- Douglas John "D.J." Byard (1859-1949), born in Madras, India, and educated in England, he was a proprietor and headmaster of Hahndorf College, South Australia
| Historic Events for the Byard family | + |
USS Arizona - Mr. Ralph D. Byard, American Chief Commissary Steward working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he survived the sinking 5
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- 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)
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
- Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html
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Byard migration to the United States 
Byard migration to Australia 
England
France
Scotland
