Show ContentsSand History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Sand

What does the name Sand mean?

The ancestors of the bearers of the Sand family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found throughout ancient Britain as the name literally means "dweller on sandy soil or by the sands." 1 2

"The vocable sand is found in composition of many localities, but the surnames Sand, Sands may mean a messenger, one sent; from German tenden, Goth, sandjan, Anglo-Saxon sendan." 3

Early Origins of the Sand family

The surname Sand was first found in Surrey where William de Sandes was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1205. A few years later, Walter de la Sonde was found in the Feet of Fines for Surrey in 1248, and later again, Andrew atte Sonde was registered in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296. Other early entries include: Reginald del Sond in Suffolk in 1298, Thomas Attensandes in the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire in 1301 and Gilbert del Sandes in the Curia Regis Rolls for Cumberland in 1332. 1

One of the earliest records of the family was John Sandale (or Sandall), from Wheatley within Long Sandale, Yorkshire. He was Lord High Treasurer (1310-1311) and (1314-1318). Later he was Bishop of Winchester (1316-1319.) 4

Many families were caught up the religious turmoil of the time and this family was no exception in Gloucestershire. "The first that was called to shed his blood was the Rev. John Sands, or Sandys. Ordained priest at Rheims, he came on the English mission in 1584. Labouring diligently in the work of the ministry, he was apprehended, and was soon condemned to the death of a traitor, for his priestly character. Paul Tracye, of Stanwey, then Sheriff of the county, assisted at his barbarous execution in Gloucester on 2nd August, 1586." 5

Walter atte Sond was bailiff of Yarmouth, Norfolk in 1335 and about the same time, "Earl Sondes owned a large estate in Norfolk." 6

In northern England we found Johannes del Sandes listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 and the Estates and Families of Cumberland, Cumberland included an entry for Thomas del Sandes, 16 Richard II (during the sixteenth year of King Richard II's reign.) 7

Further to the north in Scotland, the family came "from the lands of Sands in the parish of Tulliallan in Fife, which in 1494 were in possession of Thomas Sands and his mother, Isobel Hudson. John Sands was chaplain at Polkelly in 1487, Thomas Sandis of that Ilk was tenant in the quarter lands of Lurg near Culross, 1587." 8

Early History of the Sand family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sand research. Another 225 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1468, 1471, 1510, 1523, 1549, 1571, 1576, 1587, 1589, 1600, 1603, 1618, 1620, 1624, 1633, 1638, 1645, 1677 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Sand History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sand Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Sand include Sand, Sands, Sandes, Sandis, Sandall, Saundes, Sonds and many more.

Early Notables of the Sand family

Distinguished members of the family include George Sondes, Earl of Feversham (1600-1677), born in 1600 at Lees Court, in the parish of Sheldwich, near Feversham in Kent, son and heir of Sir Richard...
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sand Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sand Ranking

In the United States, the name Sand is the 6,731st most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 9 However, in France, the name Sand is ranked the 9,286th most popular surname with an estimated 500 - 1,000 people with that name. 10

Migration of the Sand family to Ireland

Some of the Sand family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 110 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Sand migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Sand or a variant listed above:

Sand Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Henry Sand, who landed in Virginia in 1661 11
Sand Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Christian Sand, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1752 11
  • Christine Elisabeth Sand, who landed in America in 1765 11
  • John Adam Sand, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1766 11
Sand Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Regina Sand, who arrived in America in 1836 11
  • Heinr W Sand, who landed in America in 1848 11
  • Cathrine Sand, aged 26, who arrived in New York, NY in 1848 11
  • Cecil Sand, aged 26, who landed in New York, NY in 1848 11
  • Joseph Sand, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Sand Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • John Martin Sand, who landed in Wisconsin in 1915 11

Sand migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Sand Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • George Sand, aged 24, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the brig "Ugoni" from Belfast, Ireland

Contemporary Notables of the name Sand (post 1700) +

  • Leonard Burke Sand (1928-2016), American jurist, Senior Judge of United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (1993-2016)
  • Shauna Sand (b. 1971), American television actress
  • Vebjørn Sand (b. 1966), Norwegian painter and artist
  • Ulf Oscar Sand (b. 1938), Norwegian politician
  • Shlomo Sand (b. 1946), Israeli historian
  • George Sand (1804-1876), French novelist
  • Ebbe Sand (b. 1972), Danish former professional football player
  • Duane Sand (b. 1965), North Dakota politician
  • Johnny Sand Meads (b. 1961), American former NFL football linebacker who played from 1984 to 1992 for the Houston Oilers and Washington Redskins

Bismarck
  • Karl Sand (1921-1941), German Matrosengefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 12
USS Indianapolis
  • Cyrus Harvey Sand, American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he was one of the many who were killed in the sinking due to exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning and shark attacks 13


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
  4. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  5. Oliver, George, Collections Illustrating the History of the Catholic Religion in the Counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Wilts, and Gloucester London: Charles Dolman, 61, New Bond Street, 1857. Print
  6. Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
  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. 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)
  9. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  10. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  11. 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)
  12. Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details
  13. Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew


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