Galard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Scotland

The name Galard has a history dating as far back as the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 when the culture from which this family sprang arrived on British soil. It was a name for a happy, joyous, and bold person. The name Galard derives from the nickname the galliard, which means the bold or the joyous. 1

We note Chaucer's reference to the name in The Cook's Tale: 'Gaillard he was, as goldfinch in the shawe.'

Some presume the family originated in Normandy, France as the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae listed Roger Golier of Normandy in 1198. 2

Early Origins of the Galard family

The surname Galard was first found in the London area where the first record of the name was in the Latin form: Gaylardus in 1206. Later, Robert Gaylard was listed in 1225, and later again, John Galard was listed in 1232. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed: John Gayllard, Cambridgeshire; William Gallard and John Galard in Oxfordshire. 4

As a forename, we found Gaillarda Blome in the Close Roll, 5 Edward II and Gaylarde uxor Arnaldt de Puribus, Close Roll, 39 Henry III. The reader should note that ancient rolls always listed entries by the year of the king's reign. By example, 39, Henry III denotes during the thirty-ninth year of King Henry III's reign. 4

Further to the north ion Scotland, "Reginaldus de Galard' witnessed a charter by Adam de Hastengis of the land of Kengildurs to the Abbey of Aberbrothoc, c. 1214-1226. John Galart or Gallard held the land of Keth Sywin or Swinis Keeth, Fife, in 1248, and Reginaldus de Gaillard is mentioned in connection with the land about the same date." 5

Early History of the Galard family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Galard research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1341, 1351, 1426, 1667, 1675, 1676, 1687 and 1749 are included under the topic Early Galard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Galard Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Gaylord, Gaillard, Galliard, Gaylor, Gayleard and others.

Early Notables of the Galard family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Richard Gaillard and Hughes Gaillard, British Squires who bravely fought at the Combat of the Thirty on March 26th, 1351.John Ernest Galliard (1687?-1749), was a...
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Galard Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Galard migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Galard or a variant listed above:

Galard Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Henri Galard, aged 50, originally from Toulouse, France, arrived in New York in 1908 aboard the ship "La Lorraine" from Havre, France 6
Virginia Galard, aged 20, originally from Campoberg, arrived in New York in 1909 aboard the ship "Regina d'Italia" from Naples, Italy 6
Anna Ceceri Galard, aged 1, originally from Caserta, arrived in New York in 1909 aboard the ship "Regina d'Italia" from Naples, Italy 6
Marguerite Galard, aged 23, originally from Jouiville Le Pont, France, arrived in New York in 1912 aboard the ship "Niagara" from Havre, France 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Galard (post 1700) +

Geneviève de Galard (b. 1925), French nurse, dubbed l'ange de Dien Bien Phu ("the Angel of Dien Bien Phu") during the French war in IndoChina, awarded the Légion d´honneur and the Croix de Guerre TOE in 1954
René de Galard de Béarn (1699-1771), Marquis de Brassac was a French soldier and amateur composer of the Baroque era
Count Gustave de Galard (1777-1840), French painter and designer

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result