Show ContentsHeggyord History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Heggyord

What does the name Heggyord mean?

The ancestors of the first family to use the name Heggyord lived among the Pictish people of ancient Scotland. The name Heggyord is derived from the Gaelic form Mac-an-t-sagairt, which means son of the priest. Patronymic names often substituted the name of a saint or other revered religious figure in place of a devout bearer's actual father. However, the patronym Heggyord often denotes actual paternity in this case, since the marriage of clerics in minor orders was permissible, although the marriage of priests was declared illegal and invalid during the 12th century.

The etymology of the name is much in debate. One source notes the "family are supposed to be derived from the Ogards of co. Hertfordshire." or the name "Haggard is a corruption of "hay-garth," a rick yard, and is so employed in Hall and Holinshed, as well as in several provincial dialects, but most probably, an ancient baptismal name which occurs in Domesday as Acard and Acardus." 1

Early Origins of the Heggyord family

The surname Heggyord was first found in Perthshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) former county in the present day Council Area of Perth and Kinross, located in central Scotland, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

The Scottish branch of the family was recorded quite late as "the name occurs in Suffolk in thirteenth century as Hacgard." 2 3

One of the first records of the family was found in Worcestershire, England where Alice Haggard was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of 1275. 4 In this case, the name may have been derived from the Middle English and Old French word hagard which means 'wild, untamed.'

Early History of the Heggyord family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Heggyord research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1723 is included under the topic Early Heggyord History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Heggyord Spelling Variations

The arts of spelling and translation were yet in their infancies when surnames began, so there are an enormous number of spelling variations of the names in early Scottish records. This is a particular problem with Scottish names because of the numerous times a name might have been loosely translated to English from Gaelic and back. Heggyord has been spelled Haggard, Hagard, Hagger, Hagart, Haggart, Hager and many more.

Early Notables of the Heggyord family

More information is included under the topic Early Heggyord Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Heggyord family

This oppression forced many Scots to leave their homelands. Most of these chose North America as their destination. Although the journey left many sick and poor, these immigrants were welcomed the hardy with great opportunity. Many of these settlers stood up for their newfound freedom in the American War of Independence. More recently, Scots abroad have recovered much of their collective heritage through highland games and other patriotic functions and groups. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has located various settlers bearing the name Heggyord: Peter Hagard arrived in Philadelphia in 1849; Andrew Haggart arrived in New York in 1848; J. Haggard arrived in San Francisco in 1850.



The Heggyord Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Modeste conabor
Motto Translation: I will attempt moderately.


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  3. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)


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