‘Ward’
a (Name) Family History
Hello
there. At first I was at a loss as what to write about but after much
deliberation I decided to explain the meaning of my name!
There
are several possible explanations for the origin of the English surname
Ward. In the first case, the name may be of occupational origin, being
one of those surnames derived from the type of work a man did or the
profession he pursued. The name evolved from the Old English word
‘Weard’, meaning watchman or guard, and it originally signified one who
was employed in such a position. Early instances of the name are often
found prefixed by ‘le’, meaning ‘the’, and this would indicate that the
name is of occupational origin. However, in some instances the surname
is found in records prefixed by ‘de la’, meaning “of the”, which
implies that the name was also of local origin. In this case, the name
developed from the Middle English word ‘werd’ meaning marsh, and the
surname Ward may have originally signified a ‘marshman’.
This
surname was recorded in England as early as 1176 when one William de la
Warda was registered as living in Leicestershire (Pipe Rolls,
Leicestershire). In the ‘Rotuli Hundredorum’ of 1279 one Simon le Warde
was recorded in Oxfordshire.
Ward
is the family name of the Earls of Dudley and Viscounts Bangor. Notable
bearers of the name include Sir Joseph Ward (1856-1930), a New Zealand
politician who was the first prime minister of that country from 1906
until 1930.
In
modern day times, the surname Ward has been used or lengthened:
hospital ward, warden, ward off, warder, ward of court. Its basic
meaning is to look after, to guard or to protect.
The
Ward family motto from this period is ‘Comme Je fus’. The translation
being, ‘As I was’.
Well
there you are. I personally have lived in Sheffield all my life. It’s a
place I hold dear to my heart. I hope this has been of some interest to
you and wonder if it has got you wondering what history your surname
has.
Mine,
as you may gather, doesn’t originate in Sheffield. Surprisingly, Not
many names do.
Regards,
Ian Andrew Ward.
