Show ContentsOrd History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Ord family

The surname Ord was first found in Ord, a village about 2 miles (3 km) south west of Berwick Upon Tweed in Northumberland that dates back to 1196 where it was first listed as Horde. [1] East Ord, Middle Ord and West Ord were all hamlets at one time and all owned by the Ord family until the early fifteenth century. The villages are essentially on the Scottish-English border of today so the family's movement through the ages on both sides is to be expected. By example, we draw the reader's attention to the township of Newbiggin in Northumberland. "This place, which is pleasantly situated on the north bank of the river Derwent, was for many years the residence of the Ord family, of whom Robert, who died in 1778, was chief Baron of the exchequer in Scotland." [2]

Early History of the Ord family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ord research. Another 139 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1180, 1296, 1781, 1802, 1832, 1835, 1852 and 1855 are included under the topic Early Ord History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ord Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Orde, Ord and others.

Early Notables of the Ord family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • William Henry Ord (1781-1855), an English Whig politician and landowner, Member of Parliament for Morpeth (1802-1832), South Northumberland and Newcastle-upon-Tyne (1835-1852)
  • Simon Orde of Northumberland


United States Ord migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Ord Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • William Ord, who landed in Virginia in 1653 [3]
Ord Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Dorothy Ord, who settled in Potomac Maryland in 1729
  • Walter Ord, who settled in Georgia in 1734
  • Johan Heinrich Ord, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1754 [3]
  • Robert Ord, who settled in Virginia in 1773
  • George Ord, who arrived in New York, NY in 1778 [3]
Ord Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John George Ord, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1848 [3]

Australia Ord migration to Australia +

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

Ord Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

New Zealand Ord 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:

Ord Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • William Ord, aged 18, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bombay" in 1865 [5]
  • Elizabeth Ord, aged 36, a housekeeper, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rakaia" in 1879
  • Mr. John Ord, (b. 1845), aged 34, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Stad Haarlem" arriving in Lyttleton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th April 1879 [6]
  • Mrs. Margaret Ord, (b. 1838), aged 41, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Stad Haarlem" arriving in Lyttleton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th April 1879 [6]
  • Miss Jane Ord, (b. 1868), aged 11, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Stad Haarlem" arriving in Lyttleton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th April 1879 [6]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Ord (post 1700) +

  • George Ord (1781-1866), American ornithologist, member of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia in 1815, member of the American Philosophical Society in 1817
  • Major-General James Garesch Ord (1886-1960), American Chief of the Joint Brazil-US Defense Commission (1943-1945) [7]
  • Craven Ord (1756-1832), English antiquarian, best known for his brass rubbings, Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London in 1775
  • Major-General Sir Harry St George Ord (b. 1819), English-born, Australian politician, Governor of Western Australia from 1877 to 1880, grandson of Craven Ord
  • Edward Otho Cresap Ord (1818-1883), American engineer and United States Army officer who was instrumental in forcing the surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee; he later designed Fort Sam Houston
  • Boris Ord (1897-1961), British organist and choirmaster of King's College (1929-1957)
  • Major-General William Ord Ryan (1891-1980), American Commanding General Pacific Division, Air Transport Command (1943-1946) [8]


  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. 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)
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 2nd December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/camden
  5. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 7th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  6. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  7. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2014, March 26) James Ord. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Ord/James_Garesch%C3%A9/USA.html
  8. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2014, March 26) William Ryan. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Ryan/William_Ord/USA.html


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