Show ContentsHord History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Hord

What does the name Hord mean?

The name Hord finds its origins with the ancient Anglo-Saxons of England. It was given to one who worked as a "herdsman," having derived from the Old English word "hierde," meaning "herd." 1 2

Early Origins of the Hord family

The surname Hord was first found in Lincolnshire where William Lehird was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls. Thomas Hord was found in the Assize Rolls for Shropshire in 1221 and later, Reginald le Herd was listed in the Assize Rolls for Somerset in 1243. Later, Richard le Hurde was found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296. 3

Early History of the Hord family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hord research. Another 141 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1241, 1396, 1455, 1487, 1510, 1599, 1600, 1614, 1617, 1618, 1621, 1622, 1626, 1630, 1632, 1637, 1658 and 1982 are included under the topic Early Hord History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hord 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. Hord has been recorded under many different variations, including Hord, Horde, Hoord, Hoorde, Hoard, Hoarde and others.

Early Notables of the Hord family

Distinguished members of the family include Samuel Hoard (1599-1658), an English clergyman and controversialist in the Arminian interest, credited with the first successfully attack on Calvinistic doctrine by an English clergyman. He was "born in London in 1599, became either clerk or chorister of All Souls' College, Oxford, in 1614, was matriculated on 10 October 1617, and migrated to St. Mary Hall, where he graduated B.A. 20 April 1618, and commenced M.A. in 1621. He was incorporated in the latter...
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hord Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hord Ranking

In the United States, the name Hord is the 7,752nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4


Hord migration to the United States +

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 Hord or a variant listed above:

Hord Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • William Hord, who arrived at Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1623
  • Richard Hord, who settled in Virginia in 1635
  • Francis Hord, who arrived in Virginia in 1664
  • Francis Hord, who landed in Virginia in 1664 5
Hord Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • John Hord, who landed in Virginia in 1708 5
  • Johannes Hord, who arrived in America in 1738 5

Hord migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 6
Hord Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Bartholomew Hord, who settled in Barbados in 1659

Contemporary Notables of the name Hord (post 1700) +

  • Max Hord (b. 1953), American amateur and professional boxer
  • Ambrose Roy Hord Jr. (1934-2002), professional American football offensive lineman
  • Donal Hord (1902-1966), American sculptor
  • Norman Hord Ph.D., American Associate Professor of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Michigan State University
  • Edward R Hord (b. 1827), Texas legislator and army officer
  • Brian Howard Hord (b. 1934), British chartered surveyor and politician
  • Thomas Hord Herndon (1828-1883), American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Representative from Alabama in the Confederate Congress 5th District, 1861; Member of Alabama State Legislature; U.S. Representative from Alabama 1st District, 1879-83 7
  • Harriett Hord Cartmell, American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Maysville, Kentucky, 1986-90


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, May 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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