England
IrelandThe Hazeard surname, of Norman ancestry, was a name given to a person who takes chances or a gambler which is derived from the Old French word hasard, which means a game of dice, played by a gambler or one who was prepared to run risks. A broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, nickname surnames referred to a characteristic of the first person who used the name. They can describe the bearer's favored style of clothing, appearance, habits, or character. "The orthography was originally Hasssart, and the extinct dukes of Charante [Normandy] were of the same family." [1]
The surname Hazeard was first found in Gloucestershire where "soon after the Conquest a branch settled." [1]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hazeard research. Another 56 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hazeard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Hazard, Hasard, Hassard and others.
More information is included under the topic Early Hazeard Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Hazeard family to IrelandSome of the Hazeard family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 77 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Hazeard or a variant listed above: John and Joane Hazard settled in Virginia in 1618; two years before the "Mayflower"; Sarah Hazard settled in Virginia in 1654; Richard Hazard settled in Virginia in 1732.
