Mellard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Mellard

What does the name Mellard mean?

The founding heritage of the Mellard family is in the Anglo-Saxon culture that once dominated in Britain. The name Mellard comes from when one of the family worked as a miller or the keeper of a mill. The surname Mellard is derived from the Old English word mylenweard. This name is common in the southern and western counties; elsewhere, the form Milner predominates. The "mill-ward" was the keeper of the mill having derived from the Middle English words "melle, mulle, and mulne." 1 2

Early Origins of the Mellard family

The surname Mellard was first found in Derbyshire where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Mellard family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mellard research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1430, 1488 and 1502 are included under the topic Early Mellard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mellard 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. Mellard has been spelled many different ways, including Milward, Milwood and others.

Early Notables of the Mellard family

Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mellard Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Mellard family to Ireland

Some of the Mellard 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.

Mellard 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 Mellards to arrive in North America:

Mellard Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Robert F Mellard, who landed in Texas in 1835 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Mellard (post 1700) +

Horace Mellard DuBose (1858-1941), American bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church

Sources +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
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)