Contents [hide]

Hurd History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Hurd History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The founding heritage of the Hurd family is in the Anglo-Saxon culture that once dominated in Britain. The name Hurd comes from when one of the family worked as a herdsman. The surname Hurd is derived from the Old English word herde, which in turn comes from the Old English word heird, which means herd. 1

Early Origins of the Hurd family

The surname Hurd was first found in Shropshire where Thomas Hord was listed in the Assize Rolls of 1221. Years later, Reginald le Herd was found in the Assize Rolls for Somerset in 1243 and Richard le Hurde was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 include: Robert le Hirde, Suffolk; Richard le Herde, Cambridgeshire; and David le Hyrde, Norfolk. 1

One entry was found in Somerset in early times, that of William le Hurde, 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign.) 3

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Alanus Hyrd; Nicholans Hyrd; and Johannes Hird as all holding lands there at that time. 1

"An old family of Hird once resided at Woodhouse Grove, Rawdon, in the West Riding [of Yorkshire]." 4

Moving further north to Scotland, Hird was the Scottish pronunciation of 'herd', a herdsman. 5 Early records show "W. dictus Hyrd was actomatus (attorney) of Bernard, abbot of Aberbrothoc in 1328. John Hird was a tenant of the Douglas in Louchurde in 1376." 5

Early History of the Hurd family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hurd research. Another 192 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1511, 1512, 1529, 1532, 1534, 1546, 1588, 1605, 1610, 1619, 1626, 1627, 1720, 1732, 1808 and 1810 are included under the topic Early Hurd History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hurd Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Hurd has been spelled many different ways, including Herd, Heard, Hird, Hurd and others.

Early Notables of the Hurd family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Richard Hurd (1720-1808), was Bishop of Worcester, second son of John Hurd, a substantial farmer, and his wife, Hannah, was born at Congreve, Staffordshire, on 13 January 1720. 6

Hurd Ranking

In the United States, the name Hurd is the 1,490^th most popular surname with an estimated 19,896 people with that name. 7

Hurd migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Hurds to arrive in North America:

Hurd Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Chris Hurd, who landed in Virginia in 1652 8
James Hurd, who arrived in Maryland in 1657 8
Robert Hurd, who landed in Maryland in 1671 8
John Hurd, who landed in Maryland in 1674 8
Nicholas Hurd, aged 19, who arrived in New England in 1699 8

Hurd Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Christian Hurd, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1742 8

Hurd Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Daniel Hurd, aged 23, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1848 8
Hedvig Gustafsdotter Hurd, aged 21, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1848 8
Carl Hurd, aged 32, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1848 8
Ailen Hurd, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 8

Hurd migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hurd Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Jacob Hurd, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749-1752
Mrs. Annah Hurd U.E., (née Hawley) who settled in Canada c. 1784 9
Col. Edmund Hurd U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 9
Mr. Jehiel Hurd U.E. who settled in Augusta, Ontario c. 1784 9
Mr. Phineas Hurd U.E., "Phinias" who settled in Canada c. 1784 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hurd Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Abner Hurd, who arrived in Canada in 1832
Tyrus Hurd, who arrived in Canada in 1833

Hurd migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Hurd Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Hurd, (b. 1816), aged 26, English convict who was convicted in Wells, Somerset, England for 15 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Earl Grey" on 4th October 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 10
Mr. William Hurd, (b. 1819), aged 24, English groom who was convicted in Bristol, England for 7 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Cressy" on 28th April 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1848 11
Miss Charlotte Hurd, (b. 1822), aged 26 who was convicted in Wells, Somerset, England for 7 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Cadet" on 10th November 1848, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 12

Hurd migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Hurd Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Levi William Hurd, (b. 1865), aged 3 months, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Indian Empire" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 23rd July 1865 13
Mrs. Mary E. Hurd, (b. 1838), aged 27, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Indian Empire" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 23rd July 1865 13
Miss Mary E. Hurd, (b. 1863), aged 2, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Indian Empire" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 23rd July 1865 13
Mr. George Hurd (Huard), (b. 1838), aged 27, British farm labourer travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Indian Empire" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 23rd July 1865 13

Contemporary Notables of the name Hurd (post 1700) +

Mark Vincent Hurd (1957-2019), American businessman, co-CEO of Oracle Corporation, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President of Hewlett-Packard
Peter Hurd (1904-1984), American artist
Michelle Hurd (b. 1966), American stage, film, and television actress
David Hurd (b. 1950), American composer, concert organist, choral director and educator
Gale Anne Hurd (b. 1955), American film producer and writer
Curtis J. Hurd, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Onondaga County 4th District, 1848 14
Clarence I. Hurd, American politician, Member of New Hampshire State Senate 22nd District, 1909-10 14
Charles S. Hurd, American politician, Member of Montana State Senate 20th District, 1895-96 14
Charles Hurd, American politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Brookfield, 1842 14
Carroll L. Hurd (1894-1977), American politician, Mayor of St. Louis Park, Minnesota, 1952-53 14
... (Another 39 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Hurd family +

Grover Shoe factory

Miss Lillian B. Hurd, American employee of the Grover Shoe factory in Brockton, Massachusetts on 20th March 1905 when the boiler exploded and collapsed the wooden building; she died 15

USS Arizona

Mr. Willard Hardy Hurd, American Mess Attendant Second Class from Tennessee, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 16

The Hurd 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: Recte et sapienter
Motto Translation: Rightly and wisely.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
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)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-gray
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 21st May 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cressy
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cadet/
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
California Digital Newspaper from 21st March 1905 (retrieved on 5th August 2021.) Retrieved from https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SFC19050321.2.19&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html