Ward (surname)

Ward is a surname of either Old English or Old Gaelic origin, common in English-speaking countries.

Some specific coats of arms used by people of the surname Ward- not generally applicable to the surname as is commonly misunderstood: The Viscounts Bangor descending from Bernard Ward, 1st Viscount Bangor bear the arms azure, a cross flory or. A William Ward, of Sudbury, MA, U.S.A., was in 1639 granted arms blazoned Azure, a cross patoncé or. [1][2]

The Old English name derives from an occupational surname for a civil guard/keeper of the watch, or alternately as a topographical surname from the word werd ("marsh"). The Old Irish surname is linguistically unrelated, and derives from Mac an Bháird ("son of the Bard"), a bárd being a storyteller or poet. An Irish variant is O'Ward. The oldest public record of the surname dates to 1176.[3]

In the 2010 United States Census, Ward was the 79th most common surname.[4] It is the 78th most common surname in Ireland.[5] It was the 31st most common surname in the 1991 UK census and 40th in 2001 census,[6] and in 2007, was found to be the most common surname in Lutterworth, Leicestershire.[7]