Hazeard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Hazeard surname, of Norman ancestry, was a name 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 Hazeard family

The surname Hazeard 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 Hazeard family

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

Hazeard Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Hazard, Hasard, Hassard and others.

Early Notables of the Hazeard family

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

Migration of the Hazeard family to Ireland

Some of the Hazeard 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 Hazeard family

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Hazeard or a variant listed above: 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.

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
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)
Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)