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

Marie Bedard, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1763

Bédard migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bédard Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Marie Bedard, who arrived in Montreal in 1653
Isaac Bédard, a carpenter, who married Marie Girard in 1644 in La Rochelle, France, and settled with his entire family in Notre-Dame-des-Anges, near Quebec city, in 1663
Jacques Bedard, son of Isaac and Marie, who married Isabelle Doucinet, daughter of Pierre and Fleurence, in Quebec on 4th October 1666 6
Joseph Bedard, son of Isaac and Marie, who married Marie-Madeleine Huppé, daughter of Michel and Madeleine, in Quebec on 15th December 1678 6
Étienne Bedard, son of Jacques and Isabelle, who married Marie Villeneuve, daughter of Mathurin and Marguerite, in Charlesbourg, Quebec on 19th April 1694 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bédard Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Jacques Bedard, son of Jacques and Fleurence, who married Jeanne-Élisabeth Renaud, daughter of Guillaume and Marie, in Charlesbourg, Quebec on 27th November 1702 6
Thomas-Charles Bedard, son of Jacques and Isabelle, who married Jeanne-Françoise Huppé, daughter of Jacques and Marie-Suzanne, in Beauport, Quebec on 10th November 1707 6
Antoine Bedard, son of Louis and Marie-Madeleine, who married Marguerite Gagnor, daughter of Mathurin and Marie-Charlotte, in Quebec on 9th October 1711 6
Charles Bedard, son of Jacques and Isabelle, who married Élisabeth Huppé, daughter of Jacques and Marie-Suzanne, in Beauport, Quebec on 14th November 1712 6
Jean-Baptiste Bedard, son of Louis and Marie-Madeleine, who married Jeanne Paradis, daughter of Jean and Jeanne, in Charlesbourg, Quebec on 24th October 1718 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Bédard (post 1700) +

Connor Bedard (b. 2005), Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL)
Irene Bedard (b. 1967), American actress best known for her portrayal of Native American characters
Patrick Bedard (b. 1941), American racing journalist
Joseph A. Bedard, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for New Hampshire Governor's Council 3rd District, 1938 7
Gregory Bedard, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1996 7
Marc-André Bédard (1935-2020), Canadian attorney and politician from Lac-à-la-Croix, Quebec, Minister of Justice and Deputy Premier
James Leo "Jim" Bedard (b. 1927), retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played 22 games in the National Hockey League with the Chicago Black Hawks
James Arthur "Jim" Bedard (b. 1956), retired Canadian ice hockey goaltender
Denis Bédard (b. 1950), Canadian composer of organ works
David Peter Bédard (b. 1965), Canadian three-time silver medalist diver at the 1986 and 1990 Commonwealth Games
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Hozier, Charles D, and Antoine Bachelin-Delforenne. État présent De La Noblesse française (1883-1887): Contenant Le Distionnaire De La Noblesse Contemporaine Et Larmorial général De France, Dapres Les Manuscrits De Ch. D Hozier. Librairie Des Bibliophiles, 1884. Print.
Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 1, Institut Drouin, 1958.
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html