Keard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of Keard

What does the name Keard mean?

The ancestors of the name Keard are thought to have come from the ancient Scottish kingdom of Dalriada. Keard was used to indicate someone who worked as a worker in brass. The name Keard is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic "ceard", which refers to a craftsman, a traveling tinker who repaired pots and kettles, and a worker in brass. The family is believed to have made many of the Highland plaid brooches of brass.

Early Origins of the Keard family

The surname Keard was first found in Ayrshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Àir), formerly a county in the southwestern Strathclyde region of Scotland, that today makes up the Council Areas of South, East, and North Ayrshire, 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.

Early History of the Keard family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Keard research. Another 196 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1275 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Keard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Keard Spelling Variations

In the Middle Ages, the translation between Gaelic and English was not a highly developed process. Spelling was not yet standardized, and so, an enormous number of spelling variations appear in records of early Scottish names. Keard has appeared as Caird, Kaird, Kerd, Keard, Ceard, Kerde, McIncaird, McKincaird, Kincaird and many more.

Early Notables of the Keard family

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

Migration of the Keard family to Ireland

Some of the Keard family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Keard family

Many of the ancestors of Dalriadan families who arrived in North America still live in communities along the east coast of Canada and the United States. In the American War of Independence many of the original settlers traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the ancestors of many Scots began recovering their collective national heritage through Clan societies, highland games, and other patriotic events. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Keard or a variant listed above: William Caird settled in New Hampshire in 1718; Thomas Caird settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1765.