Lennerd History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Lennerd is tied to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of England. It comes from the baptismal name for Leonard. In the religious naming tradition surnames were bestowed in honor of religious figures or church officials. In Europe, the Christian Church was one of the most powerful influences on the formation of given names. Personal names derived from the names of saints, apostles, biblical figures, and missionaries are widespread in most European countries. In the Middle Ages, they became increasingly popular because people believed that the souls of the deceased continued to be involved in this world. They named their children after saints in the hope that the child would be blessed or protected by the saint. In this case the surname Lennerd was originally derived from the well-known saint, St. Leonard who was a popular both in England and in France.

Early Origins of the Lennerd family

The surname Lennerd was first found in Kent where they held a family seat from very early times.

Early History of the Lennerd family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lennerd research. Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1570, 1590, 1591, 1600, 1604, 1615, 1616, 1637, 1654, 1661, 1680, 1681, 1685, 1698, 1701, 1709, 1715 and 1722 are included under the topic Early Lennerd History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lennerd Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Lennerd has undergone many spelling variations, including Leonard, Leonards, Lennard and others.

Early Notables of the Lennerd family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Henry Lennard, 12th Baron Dacre (1570-1616), an English Baron and politician; Sampson Lennard (died 1615), of Chevening in Kent, an English Member of Parliament, High Sheriff of Kent (1590-1591); Sir Stephen Lennard (c. 1604-1680), 1st Baronet of West Wickham; and his son...
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lennerd Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Lennerd family to Ireland

Some of the Lennerd family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 40 words (3 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 Lennerd family

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Lennerd were among those contributors: John Leonard brought his family to Springfield, Massachusetts in 1639 and was killed fighting Indians in 1676. Henry Leonard settled in Massachusetts in 1640.