Show ContentsHavard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname Havard is derived from the Old English personal name "Hereweard," which is in turn made up of the elements "here," which meant army, and "weard," which meant "guard." [1]

Early Origins of the Havard family

The surname Havard was first found in Herefordshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the 13th century when they held estates in that shire.

Early History of the Havard family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Havard research. Another 133 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1140, 1159, 1431, 1442, 1455, 1487, 1510, 1545, 1600, 1607, 1625, 1637 and 1638 are included under the topic Early Havard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Havard Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Havard include Havard, Harvard, Haverd, Harverd and others.

Early Notables of the Havard family

Distinguished members of the family include John Harvard (1607-1638), English minister who emigrated to America in 1637, but died a year later of tuberculosis. He bequeathed Massachusetts Bay Colony's New College which was later renamed Harvard College in his honor. He was born in the High Street of Southwark...
Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Havard Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Havard Ranking

In the United States, the name Havard is the 8,133rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [2] However, in France, the name Havard is ranked the 1,810th most popular surname with an estimated 3,393 people with that name. [3]


United States Havard migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled 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 ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Havard or a variant listed above:

Havard Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Elizabeth Havard, who arrived in Virginia in 1675
  • David Havard, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1693 [4]
Havard Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Ann Havard, an emigrant in bondage, who arrived in America in 1751

Canada Havard migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Havard Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
  • Pierre Havard, who was on record in Quebec in 1690

Australia Havard migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Havard Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Havard, Welsh convict from Brecon, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on July 29th, 1823, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia [5]
  • John Havard, aged 36, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Adelaide" [6]

New Zealand Havard migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Havard Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Havard, (b. 1851), aged 27, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Western Monarch" arriving in New Zealand in 1879 [7]
  • Mrs. Elizabeth Havard, (b. 1855), aged 23, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Western Monarch" arriving in New Zealand in 1879 [7]
  • Miss Elenor A Havard, (b. 1876), aged 2, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Western Monarch" arriving in New Zealand in 1879 [7]
  • Miss Sarah E Havard, (b. 1878), aged 9 months, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Western Monarch" arriving in New Zealand in 1879 [7]

Contemporary Notables of the name Havard (post 1700) +

  • Amanda Havard (b. 1986), American writer of young adult fiction, best known for The Survivor Series
  • Valery Havard (1846-1927), French-born, American career army officer, physician, author, and botanist
  • Kenneth Edward "Kenny" Havard (b. 1971), American businessman and politician, Member of the Louisiana House of Representatives (2012-)
  • James Pinkney Havard (b. 1937), American modernist painter
  • Russ Havard (b. 1971), American landscape painter
  • Charles S. Havard, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1908 [8]
  • Dr. Robert Emlyn Havard (1901-1985), English physician of C.S. Lewis, humorously nicknamed a "Useless Quack," by Warren Lewis one of the founding members of the "Inklings," an informal Oxford literary society
  • Joseph-Marie-Pélagie Havard M.E.P., (1790-1838), French Catholic bishop and missionary in Vietnam
  • Peter Havard -Williams (1922-1995), Welsh librarian and library educator, Chief Librarian to the Council of Europe
  • Michel Havard (b. 1967), French politician, Member of the National Assembly of France
  • ... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Prince of Wales colliery
  • Mr. John Havard (b. 1840), Welsh coal miner who was working at the Prince of Wales Colliery in Abercarn, Wales on the 11th September 1878 when there was a coal mine explosion; he died [9]


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  4. 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)
  5. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1823 with 151 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1823
  6. South Australian Register Tuesday 3 February 1852. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ADELAIDE 1852. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/adelaide1852.shtml
  7. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  8. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 5) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  9. Entombed in flood and flame (retrieved 3rd August 2021). Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20120603025705/http://www.crosskeys.me.uk/history/prince.htm


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