Explore the Family Name Bard
The meaning of Bard
1. English (of Norman origin) and French: from the Old French personal name Bard(e), ancient Germanic Bardo, from barta ‘battle axe’. This was borne as a surname by a prominent Norman family with lands in west Normandy and in various English and Scottish counties, including Essex, Hertfordshire, North Yorkshire, Northumberland, and Lanarkshire. In Scotland the original family were Norman landowners in Strathaven parish in Lanarkshire. They were descended from the Baards, lords of Loftus in the North Yorkshire, descendants of the mid-12th-century Richard Baart. 2. Irish: altered form of either Beard or Baird. 3. Scottish: from Gaelic bàrd ‘poet, minstrel’. See Baird. 4. French: nickname from Old French baard ‘sedan chair; stretcher’, probably denoting the owner of such a device. 5. French: from Old French bart (from Late Latin barrum) ‘mud, clay (used as a mortar)’, probably applied as a metonymic occupational name for a bricklayer. 6. French: habitational name from any of several minor places called Bard, from the Gaulish element barro ‘height, hill’. 7. Hungarian (Bárd): metonymic occupational name for a butcher, woodcutter or carpenter, from bárd ‘hatchet, cleaver’. 8. Jewish (Ashkenazic): nickname for someone with a luxurious beard, from a blend of German Bart and Yiddish bord, both meaning ‘beard’. 9. Probably also an altered form of German Bart. History: Peter Bard, reportedly a French Huguenot, came via London to DE and from there to Burlington, NJ, in the late 17th century. Some characteristic forenames: French Michel, Aime, Alphonse, Alphy, Armand, Cecile, Celestine, Emile, Fernand, Germaine, Gilles, Jacques.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bard in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname 'Bard' witnessed a significant decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Bard was ranked 4981 in terms of popularity, which dropped to rank 5809 in 2010, marking a decline of 16.62%. The count of individuals carrying this surname also fell from 6470 in 2000 to 5953 in 2010, indicating a 7.99% decrease. Furthermore, the proportion per 100,000 people decreased by 15.83%, from 2.4 in 2000 to 2.02 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,981 | #5,809 | -16.62% |
| Count | 6,470 | 5,953 | -7.99% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.4 | 2.02 | -15.83% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bard
The Decennial U.S. Census data showed that the ethnic identity associated with the surname 'Bard' underwent notable changes from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, the majority of individuals with the surname were associated with White ethnicity (85.27%), which slightly increased to 86.98% in 2010. There was also an increase in the proportion of Black ethnicity, growing from 6.26% in 2000 to 7.17% in 2010. A rise was also noted in individuals identifying with two or more races, from 1.90% in 2000 to 2.13% in 2010. However, there was a registered decrease in the percentage of Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and American Indian and Alaskan Native, with respective declines of 40.38%, 45.45%, and 33.90% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 85.27% | 86.98% | 2.01% |
| Black | 6.26% | 7.17% | 14.54% |
| Hispanic | 4.95% | 2.7% | -45.45% |
| Two or More Races | 1.9% | 2.13% | 12.11% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.04% | 0.62% | -40.38% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.59% | 0.39% | -33.9% |
Bard ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Bard is British & Irish, which comprises 33.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (25.2%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (15.3%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Levantine.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 33.5% |
| French & German | 25.2% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 15.3% |
| Other | 25.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Bard
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Bard have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 66.00% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 66.00% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 66.00% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 65.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 65.20% |
What Bard haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Bard is R-Z9, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z9 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-P312 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Behr, Khalsa, Roemer, Sperling, Eckstein, Seltzer, Hesse, Barta, Symons, Peter.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Bard surname are: H1, H, U5a. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI
The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Bard have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Bard" Surname 27.3%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Bard" Surname 42.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Bard" Surname 14.5%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Bard" Surname 18.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Bard?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Bard are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition