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![Show Contents]() Byard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The Byard surname in Scotland is a habitational name, deriving from name of the island of Bute ("Bod," in Gaelic) located in the Firth of Clyde. There was also a family of this name of Norman origin, that was first found in Shropshire where they were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy. Early Origins of the Byard familyThe surname Byard was first found in Ayrshire, where the first record of the name is Dominus Robertus de Boyd, who witnessed a contract in Irvine, Ayrshire, in 1205. The earliest Boyds were said to be vassals of the De Morevilles in the regality of Largs, and may have originally come north with them from England. "Boyd, Gael, boidh, fair, or yellow haired. A nephew of Walter, first highsteward of Scotland, c. 1160, was known by this appellation, and was an the Lords Boyd, Earls of Arran, and lords Kilmarnoch-a family conspicuous in Scottish history, and now represented by the earl of Errol." 1 Family lore suggests that the surname descends from the family of Walter Fitz Alan, scion of Royal Stewarts of Scotland, who moved his family north to Scotland, became the 1st High Steward of Scotland (c.1150-1177) and held lands in Renfrewshire and Ayrshire. He had a son Simon, who had a son named Robert, who was blond; the Gaelic for which is "buidhe." Records show that a Robert Boyd was a hero at the Battle of Largs in 1263. The Clan built Kilmarnock Castle (renamed Dean Castle, in 1700) in Ayrshire, and it was the primary seat of the Boyd family for over 400 years. It is presumed that the aforementioned Robert de Boyt, a tenant in Ayrshire rendered homage to English King Edward I in 1296 was later taken prisoner in 1306, while assisting Robert the Bruce in the latter's successful attempt to gain control of Scotland. His brother Duncan Boyd was hanged in that same year for his support of Robert the Bruce. 2 A descendant of this Robert Boyd was made Sir Robert Boyd, 1st Lord Boyd in 1454. Lord Boyd became Regent of Scotland for the infant King James III in 1460. In 1468, Boyd negotiated the marriage between the young King James III, and the daughter of the King of Norway and Denmark, thus acquiring control of the Shetland Isles and the Orkneys for Scotland. He was appointed Great Chamberlain for life and Lord Justice General in 1467. But, Lord Boyd fell out of favor with the Royal James family, was found guilty of treason, and fled to Alnwick, Northumberland. Early History of the Byard familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Byard research. Another 144 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1454, 1460, 1464, 1466, 1469, 1508, 1536, 1544, 1546, 1549, 1550, 1559, 1563, 1573, 1578, 1580, 1581, 1590, 1601, 1627, 1646, 1654, 1661, 1692, 1704, 1717, 1746, 1758, 1765, 1767, 1794, 1795, 1796, 1822, 1824, 1825, 1839, 1840, 1851, 1856, 1890, 1903, 1912 and 1991 are included under the topic Early Byard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Byard Spelling VariationsSpelling variations of this family name include: Byard, Byearde, Byatt, Byat, Byart, Boyde, Boid, Boyd and many more. Early Notables of the Byard familyNotable amongst the Clan from early times was Lord Robert Boyd (d. 1469?), Scotch statesman, eldest son of Sir Thomas Boyd of Kilmarnock, was created a peer of parliament by James II by the title of Lord Boyd, and took his seat on 18 July 1454; Robert Boyd, 4th Lord Boyd, (d. 1590), son of Robert the third lord who defeated the Earl of Glencairn at Glasgow in 1544; Robert Boyd of Trochrig (1578-1627), Scottish theological writer, the eldest son of James Boyd, Archbishop of Glasgow...
Another 86 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Byard Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Byard RankingIn the United States, the name Byard is the 15,252nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3  Migration of the Byard family to Ireland
Some of the Byard family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 93 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Byard migration to the United States | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Byard Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Ann Byard, who arrived in Virginia in 1652 4
- Edward Byard, who landed in Virginia in 1658 4
Byard Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Adam Byard, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1736 4
Byard Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- M Byard, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1871 4
| 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
- 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
- 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
| 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 6
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Confido
Motto Translation: Be trustful
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
- "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
Ireland
