Show ContentsWard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Ward

What does the name Ward mean?

The ancient Gaelic form of the Irish name Ward was Mac an Bhaird, which means son of the bard.

Early Origins of the Ward family

The surname Ward was first found in County Galway (Irish: Gaillimh) part of the province of Connacht, located on the west coast of the Island, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Ward family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ward research. Another 118 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1749 and 1794 are included under the topic Early Ward History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ward Spelling Variations

Throughout the early history of this name, spellings of the surname in various records changed frequently largely due to the recorder's interpretation of how the name sounded at the time of the entry. Spelling variations revealed in the search for the origin of the Ward family name include MacWard, McWard, Macanward, MacCanward, MacAward and many more.

Early Notables of the Ward family

  • General Thomas Ward (1749-1794), an Irishman, who served in the French Army, and died at guillotine

Ward World Ranking

the United States, the name Ward is the 66th most popular surname with an estimated 268,596 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name Ward is ranked the 131st most popular surname with an estimated 24,337 people with that name. 2 And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Ward is the 400th popular surname with an estimated 117 people with that name. 3 Australia ranks Ward as 54th with 37,551 people. 4 New Zealand ranks Ward as 48th with 5,351 people. 5 The United Kingdom ranks Ward as 34th with 99,337 people. 6

Ward migration to the United States +

Ireland experienced a dramatic decrease in its population during the late 19th century. This was in a great measure, a response to England's imperialistic policies. Hunger and disease took the lives of many Irish people and many more chose to leave their homeland to escape such hunger and disease. North America with its promise of work, freedom, and land was an extremely popular destination for Irish families. For those families that survived the journey, all three of these things were were often attained through much hard work and perseverance. Research into early immigration and passenger lists revealed many immigrants bearing the name Ward:

Ward Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Mr. John Ward, who arrived in Virginia aboard the ship "Elizabeth" in 1621 8
  • Mr. Thomas Ward, aged 47, who arrived in Virginia in 1624 aboard the ship "Warwick" 8
  • Andrew Ward, who settled in New England in 1630
  • Mr. John Ward, who left England and arrived in Maryland in 1634 aboard the ship "Ark and Dove" 9
  • Richard Ward, aged 23, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship " Globe" 8
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Ward Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Francis Ward, who landed in Virginia in 1702 10
  • Christopher Ward, who arrived in Virginia in 1704 10
  • Ann Ward, who landed in Georgia in 1738 10
Ward Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Charles Ward, aged 19, who landed in America in 1812 10
  • Godfrey Ward, aged 42, who landed in New York in 1812 10
  • Hugh Ward, aged 21, who arrived in Maryland in 1812 10
  • Abel Ward, who arrived in New York in 1831 10
  • Adam Ward, who landed in New York in 1837 10
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Ward Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Calvin Chester Ward, who arrived in Wisconsin in 1923 10
  • Mrs. Elizabeth Ward, aged 59, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Cynosure" in 1863
  • Mr. James Ward, aged 59, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Cynosure" in 1863

Ward migration to Canada +

Ward Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Abigail Ward, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1749-1752
  • Thomas Ward who settled in St. John's, Newfoundland in 1757 11
  • Mr. William Ward U.E. who settled in Bell Vue, Beaver Harbor, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1783 12
  • Mr. Asahel Ward U.E., (Ashel) who settled in Canada c. 1784 12
  • Mr. Asahel Ward U.E., (Asuhel) who settled in Markham, York County, Ontario c. 1784 12
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Ward Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • James Ward, who arrived in Canada in 1816
  • David Ward, who landed in Canada in 1823
  • Bess Ward, who landed in Canada in 1823
  • Ally Ward, who landed in Canada in 1823
  • Asa Brown Ward, who landed in Canada in 1828
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Ward migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia included the First Fleet, Second Fleet and Third Fleet of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

First Fleet
  • Mr. Peter Ward, British settler convicted in London, England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Neptune, Scarborough or Surprize" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 7
  • Mr. Thomas Ward, British settler convicted at Northamptonshire, England in 1787, sentenced to 7 years for stealing sheep, transported aboard the ship "Neptune, Scarborough or Surprize" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 8
  • Mr. James Ward, (1776 - 1812), aged 13, British settler convicted at Middlesex, England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for stealing lead, transported aboard the ship "Surprize" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 8
  • Mr. Joseph Ward, (d. 1790), British settler convicted at Middlesex, England in 1787, sentenced to Life for highway robbery, transported aboard the ship "Scarborough" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790, may have died on the ship 8
  • Mr. William Ward, (1763 - 1790), aged 26, British settler convicted at Bristol, Somerset, England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Neptune" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790, may have died on the ship 8
Second Fleet
  • Mr. John Ward, British settler convicted in London, England in 1789, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Salamander" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 8
  • Mr. James Ward, British settler convicted in Middlesex, England in 1790, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Albermarle" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 8
  • Mr. John Ward, British settler convicted in Hertfordshire, England in 1789, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Admiral Barrington" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 8
  • Mr. Joseph Ward, British settler convicted in Derbyshire, England in 1790, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "William and Ann" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 8
  • Mr. Richard Ward, (d. 1792), British settler convicted in Westmoreland, England in 1790, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Admiral Barrington" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 8
Third Fleet
  • Mr. John Ward, (b. 1770), aged 17, Irish convicted in Louth, Ireland on 11th July 1786, sentenced for 7 years for theft, transported aboard the ship "Alexander" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788, he died aboard the ship 8
  • Miss Ann Ward, (b. 1766), aged 21, English settler convicted in London on 13th December 1786, sentenced for 7 years for stealing clothing, transported aboard the ship "Lady Penrhyn" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788 8
  • Mr. John Ward, British seaman on the Navy support ship for the First Fleet the "HMS Sirius" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788
Following the First, Second and Third Fleets, other convicts and early settlers arriving in Australia include:

Ward Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century
Ward Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss Anne Ward, (Kirwan), Irish convict who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Experiment" on 21st January 1809, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
  • William Ward, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Almorah" on April 1817, settling in New South Wales, Australia 15
  • Mr. William Ward, British Convict who was convicted in Shropshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Batavia" in October 1817, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 16
  • Mr. John Ward, (b. 1801), aged 18, English shoe maker who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Dromedary" on 11th September 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he was executed in 1827 17
  • Mr. Leonard Ward, English convict who was convicted in Warwick, Warwickshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Dromedary" on 11th September 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 17
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Ward 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:

Ward Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • W Ward, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1827
  • Mr. Ward, Australian settler travelling from Sydney aboard the ship "David" arriving in New Zealand in 1839 18
  • Child Ward, Australian settler travelling from Sydney aboard the ship "David" arriving in New Zealand in 1839 18
  • Robert Ward, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1840
  • James Ward, aged 27, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "London" in 1840
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Ward 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. 19
Ward Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Ward, aged 23, emigrating from St Austell, Cornwall to Jamaica, West Indies, to become an indebted servant to Neale Mackneale, a mariner originally from London, England on 3rd November 1736 20

Contemporary Notables of the name Ward (post 1700) +

  • Gene Rinna Ward (1943-2025), American politician and Republican member of the Hawaii House of Representatives (1990-1998) and (2006-2025), served as the Minority Leader (2018-2020)
  • Robert Machray Ward (1945-2025), American actor
  • James Michael Ward (1951-2024), American game designer and fantasy author who worked for TSR, Inc. for more than 20 years
  • Freddie Joe "Fred" Ward (1942-2022), American actor and producer, known for his roles in Escape from Alcatraz, Southern Comfort, The Right Stuff, Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann, Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, Tremors and Tremors 2: Aftershocks and many more
  • Robert M. Ward (d. 2021), American politician, Minority leader of the Connecticut House of Representatives (1994-2007)
  • John T. Ward Jr. (1945-2021), American racehorse trainer who had over 573 career wins
  • Douglas Turner Ward (1930-2021), American Tony award nominated playwright, actor, director, and theatrical producer
  • Adam Ward (d. 2015), American cameraman for CBS affiliate WDBJ-TV who was killed during an on air interview with her cameraman by a disgruntled former fellow employee
  • Kevin Michael Ward (1961-2019), American Major League Baseball player who played for two seasons with the San Diego Padres (1991 and 1992)
  • ... (Another 56 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Air New Zealand Flight 901
  • Mrs. Valerie Ward (1922-1979), New Zealander passenger, from Henderson, North Island, New Zealand aboard the Air New Zealand Flight 901 for an Antarctic sightseeing flight when it flew into Mount Erebus; she died in the crash 21
  • Mr. Henry Ward (1921-1979), New Zealander passenger, from Henderson, North Island, New Zealand aboard the Air New Zealand Flight 901 for an Antarctic sightseeing flight when it flew into Mount Erebus; he died in the crash 22
  • Mr. Abraham Ward (1951-1985), American Sergeant 1st Class from Chester, South Carolina, USA who died in the Arrow Air Flight 1285 crash 22
  • Simon Neil Ward (1967-1985), from Shipley who attended the Bradford City and Lincoln City Third Division match on 11th May 1985 when the Bradford City stadium fire occurred and he died in the fire
  • Charles Ward (b. 1821), British passenger who died aboard the ship "Cataraqui" when sailing for Melbourne, Australia she struck rocks of Kings Island and sank on 4th April 1845
  • ... (Another 45 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Suggested Readings for the name Ward +

  • Ward: A Genealogical Record of the Wards of Big Sandy by Billie Edyth Ward.
  • A Scattered People: An American Family Moves West by Gerald W. McFarland.
  • The Noble Family of Ward by James Mayfield Ward.
  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  3. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  4. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  5. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  6. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  7. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
  8. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  9. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  10. 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)
  11. Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
  12. 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
  13. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barwell
  14. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 2nd June 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/experiment
  15. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Almorah voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1817 with 180 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/almorah/1817
  16. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/batavia
  17. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dromedary
  18. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  19. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  20. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to USA 1718 - 1759, Indentured servitude [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_america_1718_59_indentured_servitude.pdf
  21. Mount Erebus, Memorial, Roll of Remembrance (Retrieved 2018, February 21st). Retrieved from http://www.erebus.co.nz/memorialandawards/rollofremembrance.aspx
  22. American War Memorials - Flight 1285. (Retrieved 2016, August 24) . Retrieved from http://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/monument_details.php?SiteID=317&MemID=550

Houseofnames.com on Facebook