Contents [hide]

Girard History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Girard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France

Etymology of Girard

What does the name Girard mean?

The name Girard is from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of the Britain and comes from the son of Gerard. The surname Girard was originally derived from the Old German Gerhard which meant spear-brave. 1

Early Origins of the Girard family

The surname Girard was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086 where the Latin form Gerardus and Girardus were listed. 2 The Latin form prevailed into the next century when Gerardus was listed in Norfolk in 1134-1140, and in 1149-1162 in Lincolnshire. 1

Other early records include: John, Hugo Gerard in the Pipe Rolls for Northumberland in 1199; William Gerart in the Assize Rolls for Staffordshire in 1281; Henry Jerard in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1284; John Gerrard, Thomas Garard, and William Garrarde in Yorkshire in 1412, 1429 and 1458. 1

Gerard (died 21 May 1108), "Archbishop of York, was the nephew of Walkelin, bishop of Winchester, and his brother Simeon, abbot of Ely, and therefore, possibly, a distant kinsman of the Conqueror. He was precentor of the cathedral of Rouen, and afterwards a clerk of William Rufus's chapel and chancery. William dispatched him in 1095, in company with William of Warelwast, afterwards bishop of Exeter, to the papal court on a secret and delicate mission in connection with the dispute between the king and Anselm. The alleged object of their embassage was to investigate the claims of the two rival popes." 3

He was Lord Chancellor of England (1085-1092) appointed by William I, and later Archbishop of York (1100-1108.) He may have been with the king's hunting party when William II was killed, as he witnessed the first charter issued by the new king, Henry I of England, a few days later.

Windle with Hardshaw in Lancashire was home to the family in later years. "In the reign of Edward III., the manor was held under William Boteler by Peter de Burnhull, with whose heiress the Gerards acquired the property; and this latter family are the present lords. Windle Hall belongs to Sir John Gerard, Bart., at whose annual court lor the manor of Windle, officers are chosen for the township." 4

"Gerrard or Gerard is a very old Lancashire name. The Gerards of Bryn were lords of the manor of Brindle from the 14th to the 16th century: this distinguished family stands amongst the foremost of the Lancashire families, both in early and in more recent times, and received a baronetcy from James I." 5

"The Gerrards were an ancient and titled Cheshire family. The Lords Gerard of Gerards Bromley from the 16th to the 18th century were descended from the Gerards of Ince in Lancashire; the Gerards of Kingsley and Crewood came from Hawarden in Flintshire in the time of Edward I. " 5

Early History of the Girard family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Girard research. Another 127 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1177, 1545, 1555, 1559, 1564, 1581, 1587, 1593, 1601, 1611, 1613, 1617, 1618, 1622, 1634, 1640, 1641, 1650, 1659, 1660, 1661, 1667, 1670, 1680, 1683, 1685, 1687, 1689, 1694, 1700, 1701 and 1724 are included under the topic Early Girard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Girard 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. Girard has been spelled many different ways, including Gerrard, Gerard, Jarrard, Jared, Garrad, Garred, Jarratt, Jarrett and many more.

Early Notables of the Girard family

Notables of the family at this time include John Gerard (Gerarde) (1545-1611), an English botanist and herbalist, who maintained a large herbal garden in London, eponym of the botanical genus Gerardia; Sir Gilbert Gerard (died 1593), a prominent lawyer, politician, and landowner who served six times as a member of the English parliament, Attorney-General (1559) Master of the Rolls (1581); Sir Thomas Gerard, 1st Baron Gerard (ca. 1564-1618); Gilbert Gerard, 2nd Baron Gerard (d. 1622); Dutton Gerard, 3rd Baron Gerard (1613-1640); Charles Gerard, 4th Baron Gerard (1634-1667); Sir Gilbert Gerard, 1st Baronet of Harrow on...
Another 95 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Girard Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Girard World Ranking

In the United States, the name Girard is the 2,345^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 6 However, in Canada, the name Girard is ranked the 56^th most popular surname with an estimated 37,173 people with that name. 7 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Girard is the 18^th popular surname. 8 France ranks Girard as 22^nd with 55,642 people. 9

Girard 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 Girards to arrive in North America:

Girard Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Abraham Girard, who arrived in New York, New York in 1715 10
Francois Girard, who arrived in Louisiana in 1719 10
Nicolas Girard, aged 30, who arrived in Louisiana in 1719 10
Henry Girard, who settled in Louisiana with his wife Margueritte in 1720
Stephen Girard, who landed in New York in 1774 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Girard Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Louis David Girard, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1800 10
John F. Girard, who settled in Philadelphia in 1834
Peter Girard, who settled in Philadelphia in 1834
Jean Pierre Girard, aged 43, who landed in Missouri in 1845 10

Girard migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Girard Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Mr. Pierre Girard, French settler travelling to Canada for work arriving on 6th April 1642 11
Mr. Pierre Girard, French settler travelling to Canada for work arriving on 9th April 1642 11
Mr. Pierre Girard, (b. 1605), aged 38, French settler travelling to Canada for work arriving on 6th April 1643 11
Francois Girard, aged 28, who landed in Quebec in 1658
Mr. François Girard, French settler travelling to Canada to work for Pierre de Voyer d'Argenson, arriving on 12th April 1658 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Girard Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Jacques Girard, son of Pierre-Jacques and Françoise, who married Françoise Petit, daughter of Louis-Charles and Marie-Madeleine, in Varennes, Quebec on 19th March 1710 12
Jacques Girard, son of Antoine and Agnès, married Clotilde Brisson, daughter of René and Geneviève, in Quebec on 7th April 1718 12
François Girard, son of Jean and Dorothée, married Marie-Renée Lachaine-Jolicoeur, daughter of Pierre and Marie-Anne, in Lorette, Quebec on 14th April 1722 12
Etienne Girard, son of Antoine and Élisabeth, married Geneviève Brunel, daughter of Jacques and Suzanne, in Varennes, Quebec on 19th October 1723 12
Jean Girard married Marie Madeleine Bouré, daughter of Nicolas Hérbert and Marguerite, in Varennes, Quebec on 4th March 1726 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Girard (post 1700) +

René Noël Théophile Girard (1923-2015), French-born, American historian, literary critic, and philosopher of social science
Stephen Girard (1750-1831), French-born, American philanthropist and banker
Kenneth John "Ken" Girard (1936-2023), Canadian professional ice hockey player who played 7 games in the National Hockey League with the Toronto Maple Leafs between 1956 and 1960
Norman Eugène Girard, American Hospital Administrator, Massachusetts
Jean-Pierre Girard, French Brigadier General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 13
Pierre Louis Pélagie Girard, French Brigadier General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 14
Jean-Baptiste Girard, Duke of Ligny, French Divisional General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 15
Christine Girard (b. 1985), Canadian bronze medalist weightlifter at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Pierre-Simon Girard (1765-1836), French mathematician and engineer
Philippe de Girard (1775-1845), French inventor who many believe was the inventor of food preservation using tin cans
... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"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
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
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/
Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 1, Institut Drouin, 1958.
Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, March 6) Jean-Pierre Girard. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html
Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, March 6) Pierre Girard. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html
Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, March 6) Jean-Baptiste Girard. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html