Show ContentsPicard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Picard Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Picard

What does the name Picard mean?

The saga of the Picard family begins among the people of the ancient tribe of the Picts. They lived in Picardy, a region of northern France. Bearers of the name made their way from Picardy and were "pike men" to England and Scotland. 1 2

Alternatively, the name could have been derived from the word "pic" or "pick," which is a Teutonic word for "hard" or "brave." 3

Not all of the family emigrated to ancient England and Scotland as the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae listed Ralph, Engeram, Richard, Peter, Geoffry and Walter Picard in Normandy 1180-95. 4

"There is a Robert Pichard of about the same date to be found in the Rotuli Curiæ Regis, and the family is said to have been settled in Herefordshire during the preceding century. “That part of Ocle called Ocle Pichard derived its additional name from a family holding it soon after the Norman Conquest. Roger Pichard is mentioned in the Book of Fees made in the reign of Henry III. as holding of the honour of Webbeley." 5

Early Origins of the Picard family

The surname Picard was first found in Moray, where one of the first records of the family was Hugh Picard, who was a canon of Moray in 1266. A few years later, Stephen Pykard, was a knight of Gilbert de Umfraville, earl of Angus in 1279 and later still, John Pikard was juror on an inquest held at St. Andrews in 1302. Adam le Pycard was a Scottish prisoner of war from Stirling confined in Restormel Castle in 1305. Sir Patrick Picarde was rector of Torry in 1350. 6

Further to the south, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed: Alan Pichard in Yorkshire; Stephen Picard in Northumberland; Nicholas Pichard, in Shropshire; and Roger Pichard in Cambridgeshire. Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Emma Picard and Ricardus Picard as both holding lands there at that time. 7

"Miles Picard was uninterruptedly Sheriff of Herefordshire from 1300 to 1306, and twice served as knight of the shire. It was he who, according to Nash, gave its name to Sapy-Pychard in Worcestershire, which he held of Stuteville. Roger Picard, probably his son, was Sheriff in 1318 and 1327, and must have been the last of the name at Ode Pychard, where Peter de Clavenhogh (Clanowe), who succeeded him, had a grant of free warren in 1334. Another Picard served as Sheriff in 1348 and 1349; and in 1356 Sir Henry Picard, Vintner and Lord Mayor of London, gave a great banquet in honour of the battle of Poitiers, at which both the Black Prince and his Royal captive were present. At a second and still more august entertainment, of even greater splendour, he feasted four crowned heads his own Sovereign, and the Kings of France, Scotland, and Cyprus, with a great assemblage of the nobles of the realm. ' And after,' says Stowe, ' the said Henry Picard kept his hall against all comers whosoever that were willing to play at dice and hazard.' " 5

Early History of the Picard family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Picard research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1150, 1350, 1430, 1436 and 1780 are included under the topic Early Picard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Picard Spelling Variations

Although Medieval Scotland lacked a basic set of spelling rules, which meant that scribes recorded names according to their sounds it was not uncommon for the names of a father and son to be recorded differently. As a result, there are many spelling variations of Scottish single names. Picard has been written Pickard, Picard and others.

Early Notables of the Picard family

  • Sir Patrick Picard...

Picard World Ranking

the United States, the name Picard is the 3,242nd most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 8 However, in Canada, the name Picard is ranked the 282nd most popular surname with an estimated 15,249 people with that name. 9 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Picard is the 104th popular surname. 10 France ranks Picard as 94th with 30,056 people. 11

Picard migration to the United States +

Thousands of Scots left their home country to travel to Ireland or Australia, or to cross the Atlantic for the North American colonies. The difficult crossing was an enormous hurdle, but those who survived found freedom and opportunity in ample measure. Some Scots even fought for their freedom in the American War of Independence. This century, their ancestors have become aware of the illustrious history of the Scots in North America and at home through Clan societies and other organizations. Passenger and immigration lists show many early and influential immigrants bearing the name Picard:

Picard Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Hugues Picard, who settled in New France from Brittany in 1665
Picard Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • François Picard, who arrived in America from Poitou in 1704
  • Louis Picard, who settled in Louisiana in 1756
  • Pierre Picard, who landed in New York in 1798 12
Picard Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Peter Picard, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1812 12
  • Samuel Picard, who arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1833 12
  • Cyrus, Josiah, Nathaniel and William Picard, who settled in Philadelphia in 1852
  • Ludwig Picard, who landed in America in 1854 12
  • Aaron Picard, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1869
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Picard migration to Canada +

Picard Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
  • Pierre Picard, one of the earliest settlers, who arrived in Quebec from Normandie in 1629
  • Hugues Picard, who landed in Montreal in 1653
  • Mr. Nicolas Picard, French labourer travelling to Canada to work for Arnaud Peré arriving on 14th April 1656 13
  • Jean Picard, son of Pierre and Renée, who married Marie Caron, daughter of Robert and Marie, in Quebec on 28th July 1656 14
  • Hugues Picard, son of Gabriel and Michelle, who married Antoine De Liercourt, daughter of Philippe and Jeanne, in Montreal, Quebec on 30th June 1660 14
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Picard Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • François Picard, son of Jean and Marie, who married Geneviève Picard, daughter of Pierre and Jeanne, in Montreal, Quebec on 5th May 1704 14
  • Alexis Picard, son of Pierre and Jeanne, who married Louise Brault, daughter of Henri and Claude, in Montreal, Quebec on 28th July 1704 14
  • Charles-François Picard, son of Jean and Marie, who married Geneviève Ménard, daughter of Louis and Marie-Anne, in Boucherville, Quebec on 3rd February 1722 14
  • Joseph-Jean Picard, son of Jean and Marie-Anne, who married Marie-Louise Reiche, daughter of François and Marguerite, in Quebec on 18th April 1723 14
  • François Picard, son of Jacques and Marie-Anne, who married Marguerite Cusson, daughter of Jean and Marguerite, in Montreal, Quebec on 24th November 1727 14
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Picard (post 1700) +

  • Rosalind Picard (b. 1962), American electrical engineer and professor
  • Robert G. Picard (b. 1951), American writer and scholar
  • Henry Picard (1906-1997), American PGA golfer with 35 professional wins, inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in April 2006
  • Roger A. Picard, American Democratic Party politician, Social worker; Member of Rhode Island State House of Representatives 66th District, 2001-02
  • Louis Picard, American politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Erie County 1st District, 1909
  • Joseph A. Picard, American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at Jackson, Michigan, 1935-62 (acting, 1935-36)
  • John M. Picard, American Republican politician, Mayor of West Haven, Connecticut, 2011-12
  • John A. Picard, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Delegate to Michigan State Constitutional Convention from Saginaw County 1st District, 1961
  • G. Leland Picard, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for New Hampshire State House of Representatives from Derry, 1938
  • ... (Another 27 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
  1. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  4. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  5. Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
  6. 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)
  7. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  8. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  9. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  10. "The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
  11. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  12. 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)
  13. Debien, Gabriel. Liste Des Engagés Pour Le Canada Au XVIIe Siècle. Vol. 6, Laval University, 1952. (Retreived 24th May 2018). Retrieved from https://lebloguedeguyperron.wordpress.com/2016/06/30/130-liste-des-contrats-dengagement-pour-la-nouvelle-france-releves-a-la-rochelle-entre-1634-et-1679/
  14. Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 2, Institut Drouin, 1958.

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