Lords History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Lords is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name was taken on by someone who worked as a hlalord which meant lord, master or Lord's servant. 1 2 3

The "term of civil dignity, a master, ruler, the proprietor of a manor, derived from the Anglo-Saxon ord, which comes from ored, a governor, with the prefix of the letter L, le, denoting the person or place. Gaelic, ard, ord, high, lofty, the prime chief, superior. Lord has been derived from Hlaford, which is compounded of Hlaf, a loaf, and ford, to give,-a bread-giver." 4

Early Origins of the Lords family

The surname Lords was first found in Suffolk where the Pipe Rolls of 1198 record William le Lauerd as holding lands there at that time. A few years later, Gilbert Louerd was listed in Northumberland c. 1202 and John le Lord was found in Huntingdonshire in 1252. 1

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Robert le Loverd, Oxfordshire; William le Loverd, Nottinghamshire; Roger le Lord, Cambridgeshire; and Walter le Lord, Huntingdonshire. 2

Richard le Lord, filius Margarete le Lord was listed in the Close Rolls, 9 Richard II (during the ninth year of Richard II's reign.)

Early History of the Lords family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lords research. Another 65 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1198, 1252, 1273, 1300, 1573, 1633 and 1645 are included under the topic Early Lords History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lords Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Lords include Lord, Lorde and others.

Early Notables of the Lords family

Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lords Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Lords family to Ireland

Some of the Lords family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 37 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 Lords family

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: Richard Lord, one of the founders of Hartford Connecticut, and who served as a law officer in the colonies; James Lord settled in Barbados in 1660; Thomas and Dorothy Lord his wife, settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1635.

Citations +

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)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print