Show ContentsEdouard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Edouard

What does the name Edouard mean?

The Welsh surname Edouard was derived from the personal name Edward. This name is in turn derived from the Old English forename "Eadweard," which literally means "prosperity-guard." 1

Early Origins of the Edouard family

The surname Edouard was first found in Denbighshire (Welsh: Sir Ddinbych), a historic county in Northeast Wales, where they held a family seat from very ancient times. They claim descent from Einion Efell, Lord of Cynlleth, living in 1182, son of Madoc, Prince of Powys, who built Oswestry Castle in 1148.

His father was Madog ap Maredudd who died in 1160 and was the last Prince of the entire Kingdom of Powys, Wales.

"Edwards of Nanhoron descends from one of the royal tribes of Wales through Sir Griffith Lloyd and Sir Howell y Fwyallt; Edwards of Ness Strange descends from Einion Effel, lord of Cynllaeth, co. Montgomery, 1182; Edwards of Old-Court, co. Wicklow, claims from Roderick the Great, king of all Wales in 843, through his younger son, Tudwall Gloff or "the lame," whose descendants settled in Ireland in the XVII. century." 2

Early History of the Edouard family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Edouard research. Another 202 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1283, 1396, 1597, 1605, 1615, 1620, 1629, 1636, 1648, 1652, 1656, 1664, 1679, 1681, 1686, 1712, 1721, 1751, 1776, 1784, 1808, 1815, 1832 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Edouard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Edouard Spelling Variations

Welsh surnames are relatively few in number, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. There are many factors that explain the preponderance of Welsh variants, but the earliest is found during the Middle Ages when Welsh surnames came into use. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, which often resulted in a single person's name being inconsistently recorded over his lifetime. The transliteration of Welsh names into English also accounts for many of the spelling variations: the unique Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh had many sounds the English language was incapable of accurately reproducing. It was also common for members of a same surname to change their names slightly, in order to signify a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations. For all of these reasons, the many spelling variations of particular Welsh names are very important. The surname Edouard has occasionally been spelled Edwards, Edward, Edwardes and others.

Early Notables of the Edouard family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was John Edwards (c.1605-1656), a Welsh Anglican priest and translator; Jonathan Edwards (1629-1712), Welsh theologian and Principal of Jesus College, Oxford from 1686 to...
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Edouard Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Edouard Ranking

In France, the name Edouard is the 1,713rd most popular surname with an estimated 3,529 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Edouard family to Ireland

Some of the Edouard family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 235 words (17 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 Edouard family

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many people from Wales joined the general migration to North America in search of land, work, and freedom. These immigrants greatly contributed to the rapid development of the new nations of Canada and the United States. They also added a rich and lasting cultural heritage to their newly adopted societies. Investigation of immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Edouard: Old Edward who arrived at Jamestown, Virginia in 1607; John Edward who settled in Virginia in 1699; Richard Edward, who settled in St. Christopher in 1633.


Contemporary Notables of the name Edouard (post 1700) +

  • François Edouard Weyer (b. 1946), birth name of Francis Goya, a Belgian classical guitarist and producer who has recorded fifty albums
  • Michel Edouard Brière (1949-1971), Canadian professional NHL ice hockey player drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins who died from an automobile accident in 1970, eponym of the Michel Brière Memorial Trophy
  • Major-General Pierre Edouard Leclerc (1893-1982), General Officer Commanding Combined Newfoundland & Canadian Military Forces Newfoundland (1943-1944) 4
  • Philipp Edouard Devrient (1801-1877), German actor
  • Edouard Nanny (1872-1942), French double bass player, teacher, and composer, longtime professor of double bass at the Paris Conservatory
  • Edouard Glaser (b. 1955), German explorer who made several excursions to southern Arabia for scientific studies
  • Edouard Seguin (1812-1880), French physician, known for his work with children having cognitive impairments in France and the United States
  • Edouard E. Blitz (1860-1915), Belgium pianist, father of Julien Blitz
  • Edouard Stackpole, American curator of the Marine Historical Association, Mystic, Connecticut, eponym of Stackpole Rocks, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica
  • Edouard A. Stackpole (1904-1993), American author from Nantucket, Massachusetts who wrote books about whaling and the history of Nantucket


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  4. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, September 23) Pierre Leclerc. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Leclerc/Pierre_Edouard/Canada.html


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