Heard Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Heard last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Heard last name
Meaning of the Heard last name: herdsman. Heard is an English surname for a herdsman, from Old English hierde, "herder", someone who looked after the village livestock. The last name was common in Devon and Cornwall. Heard Island in the Southern Ocean was named after an American captain who sighted it in 1853.
Arms associated with the Heard name
Coats of arms associated with the Heard last name belong to the English heraldic tradition, each with its own blazon.
Get your full Heard family history
This is only a glimpse of the Heard story. The full Heard history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Heard coat of arms. Get the full Heard report.
Heard name FAQ
What does the Heard name mean?
herdsman. Common variants include Hird, Herd.
Where does the Heard surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Heard coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Heard coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).