Show ContentsHerda History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Of all the Anglo-Saxon names to come from Britain, Herda is one of the most ancient. The name is a result of the original family having lived in Hardacre, Clapham, in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The place-name is derived from the Old English personal name Hearda, and the Old English word æcer or the Old Scandinavian word akr, both of which mean "plot of cultivated land." The place-name as a whole means "Hearda's farmland." [1]

Another source claims the name was derived from the ancient Saxon word Hardgear meaning "a strong spear," and in this case it would not have any relationship to farmland.

Early Origins of the Herda family

The surname Herda was first found in Yorkshire where the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 include: Willelmus Hardaker; and Nicholaus Harthacre as holding lands there at that time. "Yorkshire must be looked upon as the chief centre." [2]

There was one lone early entry for the family in Somerset, that of John de Hordacre, 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III." [3]

And in the village of Charlton, Worcestershire, in 1240 records show William de Handsacre held Charlton Manor.

Early History of the Herda family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Herda research. Another 195 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1321 and 1343 are included under the topic Early Herda History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Herda Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Herda has been spelled many different ways, including Hardacre, Hardaker, Hardiker, Handsacre, Handacre and others.

Early Notables of the Herda family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir William Handsacre (b. c. 1300) in Handesacre in Armitage, Staffordshire. He married Eleanor circa 1321 at of Charlton, Worcestershire. His daughter Elizabeth married...
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Herda Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Herda family

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Herdas to arrive in North America: George Hardacre, who arrived in Maine in 1779.


Bismarck
  • Walter Herda (1917-1941), German Bootsmaat who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking [4]


  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
  4. Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details


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