Show ContentsHassarde History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient Norman culture that was established in England after the Conquest of 1066 produced the name of Hassarde. It was given to a person who takes chances or a gambler which is derived from the Old French word hasard, which means a game of dice, played by a gambler or one who was prepared to run risks. [1] [2] A broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, nickname surnames referred to a characteristic of the first person who used the name. They can describe the bearer's favored style of clothing, appearance, habits, or character. "The orthography was originally Hasssart, and the extinct dukes of Charante [Normandy] were of the same family." [3]

Early Origins of the Hassarde family

The surname Hassarde was first found in Gloucestershire where "soon after the Conquest a branch settled." [3]

Early Pipe Rolls in Hampshire show Hugo Hasard in 1170 and 1190, Halsard (Hasard) in 1178 and William Halsart in Surrey in 1177. In Yorkshire, the Pipe Rolls listed Gilbert Hausard in 1196. Geoffrey Hasard was listed as a Knights Templar in Lincolnshire in 1185 and the Feet of Fines for Kent list Walter Hassard in 1197. [4]

The Hundredorum Rolls for 1273 include entries for Gilbert Haunsard, Lincolnshire; John Haunsard, Norfolk; and John Hasard, Yorkshire. [5]

The Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I. include an entry for John Haunsard, Northamptonshire, Henry III-Edward I. [6]. Alan de Haunsard, taverner was listed as Freeman of York, 4 Edward II (during the 4th year of King Edward II's reign.)

Early History of the Hassarde family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hassarde research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1624, 1625, 1631 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Hassarde History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hassarde Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Hazard, Hasard, Hassard and others.

Early Notables of the Hassarde family

More information is included under the topic Early Hassarde Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Hassarde family to Ireland

Some of the Hassarde family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 77 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hassarde family

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Hassarde name or one of its variants: John and Joane Hazard settled in Virginia in 1618; two years before the "Mayflower"; Sarah Hazard settled in Virginia in 1654; Richard Hazard settled in Virginia in 1732.



  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  3. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  5. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  6. Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)


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