Gaspard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Italy

Early Origins of the Gaspard family

The surname Gaspard was first found in Warwickshire where Walter Gaispor was listed in the Pipe Rolls in 1203. A few years later, ffulco Gayspore was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for London in 1319 and over one hundred years later, Walter Gaispore was listed in the Assize Rolls for London in 1442. The name literally means "one who wore showy spurs" from the Old French "gai," and the Old English word "spura." 1

Early History of the Gaspard family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gaspard research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1394, 1510, 1600, 1620, 1641, 1642 and 1691 are included under the topic Early Gaspard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gaspard 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 Gaspar, Gaspard, Gaspere, Gaspell, Gaspare and others.

Early Notables of the Gaspard family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Jan Baptist Gaspers (Jaspers) (1620?-1691), English portrait-painter, a native of Antwerp, and in 1641-1642 was admitted a member of the guild of St...
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gaspard Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gaspard Ranking

In the United States, the name Gaspard is the 7,980^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2 However, in France, the name Gaspard is ranked the 2,193^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,901 people with that name. 3

Gaspard 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 Gaspard or a variant listed above:

Gaspard Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Pierre Gaspard, who landed in New York, NY in 1650 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Gaspard (post 1700) +

Shad Chad Javier Romane Chittick Gaspard (1981-2020), American professional wrestler and actor
Patrick Gaspard (b. 1967), American Executive Director of the Democratic National Committee, White House Director of Political Affairs (2009-2011), United States Ambassador to South Africa (2013-2016)
Mitch Gaspard (b. 1965), American head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide baseball team
Pierre Gaspard (1834-1915), French mountain climber who made the first ascent of La Meije
Marie Gaspard, French slalom canoer
François Gaspard (1710-1761), French painter and pastel artist of the Rococo movement
Pierre Gaspard (1763-1794), French politician of the Revolutionary period
Michael Gaspard Rizzello OBE (1926-2004), British sculptor and designer, best known for his sculpture David Lloyd George in Cathays Park, Cardiff and for his design of the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross
John Gaspard Gubbins (1877-1935), English-born, South African collector and writer
Jean-François Gaspard Normand, French Brigadier General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 5

Citations +

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/
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)
Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, June 16) Jean-François Normand. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html