Gayleard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The Gayleard family name dates back to 1066 when the Norman Conquest of England introduced a plethora of new names and words into Britain. It comes from an early member of the family who was a happy, joyous, and bold person. The name Gayleard 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 Gayleard family

The surname Gayleard 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 Gayleard family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gayleard 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 Gayleard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gayleard Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Gaylord, Gaillard, Galliard, Gaylor, Gayleard and others.

Early Notables of the Gayleard 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 Gayleard Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Gayleard family

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Gayleard or a variant listed above: John Gaylord who settled in Nantasket in 1630; William Gaylord settled there the same year.

Contemporary Notables of the name Gayleard (post 1700) +

James Gayleard, President of the Legislative Council of Jamaica in 1840

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)