Bédard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  France 
  Wales 


The ancient history of the Bédard name begins in the Middle Ages in the northern coastal region of Normandy. The name is derived from when the family resided in Bretagne, where the family held a family seat since the early Middle Ages.

Early Origins of the Bédard family

The surname Bédard was first found in Brittany (Bretagne) where the family held a family seat in early times. 1

Alain Bedel, a knight, is mentioned in historic documents. The members of the different branches of the family became the lords of la Reignerais, in the diocese of Saint-Brieuc, and the lords of Lairye and of Tertre, in the region of Vannes. The branch Bedel reaffirmed its title to nobility in the year 1666 in Normandy. 1

Isaac Bedard, born in 1616, was a carpenter that travelled from France to Canada on 1st May 1662 along with his wife, Marie (née Girard). Together they had three children, two of which were sons, Louis and Jacques, that carried on the family name of Bedard. Isaac died in Charlesbourg, Quebec and was buried on 15th January 1689. 2

Early History of the Bédard family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bédard research. Another 35 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1804, 1810, 1847 and 1863 are included under the topic Early Bédard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bédard Spelling Variations

Changes of spelling have occurred in most surnames. The earliest explanation is that during the early development of the French language, names were not yet fixed in spelling. Usually a person gave his version of his name, phonetically, to a scribe, a priest, or a recorder. This depended on accent, and local accents frequently changed the spelling of a name. Some variables were adopted by different branches of the family name. Hence, there are some spelling variations of the name Bédard, including Bédel, Bedel, Bedeau, Bedaux, Bedaud, Bédard, Bedard, Bédat, Bedat, Bédarieux, Bédarrieux, Bédarride, Bédarridat, Dubédel, Dubedel, Dubedeau, Dubedaux, Dubedaud, Dubedat and many more.

Early Notables of the Bédard family

Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bédard Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bédard World Ranking

In the United States, the name Bédard is the 4,057th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 3 However, in Canada, the name Bédard is ranked the 125th most popular surname with an estimated 24,911 people with that name. 4 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Bédard is the 37th popular surname. 5


Bédard migration to the United States +

French settlers came early to North American, following in the wake of the explorers, and creating New France. Quebec City, founded in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain is said to have been the first American site founded as a permanent settlement, rather than as just a commercial outpost. But emigration was slow, in 1643, 109 years after the first landings by Cartier, there were only about 300 French people in Quebec, and by 1663, when the region was officially made The Royal Colony of New France, by Louis XIV, there still only around 500 settlers. Over 2,000 would arrive during the next decade. Early marriage was desperately encouraged amongst the immigrants. Youths of 18 took fourteen-year-old girls for their wives. The fur trade was developed and attracted immigrants, both noble and commoner from France. By 1675, there were around 7000 French in the colony, and by that same year the Acadian presence in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island had reached 500. In 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported to Louisiana. Despite the loss of the Colony to England, the French people flourished in Lower Canada. Among settlers to North America of the Bédard surname were

Bédard Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Bédard migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bédard Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
Bédard Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Bédard (post 1700) +
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