Hellard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Hellard family

The surname Hellard was first found in Helland, a parish in the Trigg hundred of Cornwall. "Hals says the name refers to the church, and signifies the hall, college, temple, or church. Tonkin says kel and kele are Cornish pronunciations of the English hall, atrium, and that this word was applied to churches as well as gentlemens houses in various parts of England." 1

"Others however, on what may be deemed better authority, trace the name up to Helen, a female saint, who is said to have come into Cornwall from Ireland, in company with Germochus and others, several centuries before the Norman Conquest, and just at a time that Christianity gained an ascendancy over Druidism in this county. Her name is still preserved in the church of this parish, which from time immemorial has been dedicated to her memory." 2

Later some of the family were found in Yorkshire where the family name was first referenced in the 13th century when held lands in Bridlington. 3

Early History of the Hellard family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hellard research. Another 139 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1482, 1487, 1510 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Hellard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hellard Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Hellard has been recorded under many different variations, including Hellerd, Hellard, Helled, Hellad and others.

Early Notables of the Hellard family

Distinguished members of the family include

the Hellard family of Bridington

Migration of the Hellard family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Hellard or a variant listed above: the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..

Contemporary Notables of the name Hellard (post 1700) +

Victor Hellard Jr., American Democratic Party politician, Elected Kentucky State House of Representatives 56th District 1973 4
Dafydd Hellard (b. 1985), Welsh rugby league footballer and coach

Citations +

Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html