Surname Lydyard - Meaning and Origin
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Lydyard: What does the surname Lydyard mean?
The last name Lydyard is believed to be of English origin. It is believed to have derived from the Old English term "Lea-ford" meaning "clearing by a river or stream". The stream in question was likely the River Lyd, which flows through the village of Lydford in Devon, England.
The Lyd yard family is thought to have first taken the name in the 13th century when they arrived in the area from the nearby village of Walkhampton. It is believed that the family initially settled in the area as freeholders rather than tenants of the lord of the manor.
The Lyd yard family has been somewhat localized to the area around Devon for most of its history. Records of the family from the 14th century indicate that there were several distinct branches of the family who kept a fairly close connection to one another.
Today, the name remains associated largely with Devonshire families and the Lyd yard family is still considered to be of English origin. Considerable research has been done into the history of the Lyd yard family, giving a fascinating insight into their medieval roots and development in the area.
Order DNA origin analysisLydyard: Where does the name Lydyard come from?
The last name Lydyard is originally of Anglo-Saxon descent and is thought to have derived from the personal name Lydiard - a term which referred to someone from the town or area of Lydeard in Somerset, England. The surname is most commonly associated with the West Country of England, home to the original Lydiard family.
Today, the last name Lydyard is still most common in the West Country, with the google search ‘Lydyard’ bringing up the most results for Devon, Somerset and Wiltshire towns. This reflects the fact that the name still carries a lot of historical and sentimental value for people in the area.
The name is also still common in parts of the United States, particularly in Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey, where a small but significant number of Lydyard descendants migrated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Overall, the Lydyard name is far less prominent today than it was centuries ago. This is likely due to the fact that the name is so closely tied to the West Country, and its ties to the area have resulted in its slow spread across the globe.
Variations of the surname Lydyard
The surname Lydyard is derived from the Old English name Leaford, and is thought to be derived from the Lea, which is a small river. It is also a locational name, meaning that the original bearer of the surname originated from a place where this river flows.
There are many variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin for Lydyard. These include Leifard, Leiford, Leiffard, Lyefard, Lyford, Lyfard, Lyffard, Lyforde, Lifford, Liford, Liffard, and Lifforde.
The surname could also be spelled with a 'd' at the end, as Lydward, to differentiate it from similar yet distinct surnames, such as Lyard and Lyward.
The spelling of Lydyard could also be found as 'Le Yard', Lyard, Lyards, Lyardes, Lydard, and Lydards, whilst its variant spellings include Lird, Lurden, Ludern, and Lyrd.
For those with Irish heritage, the surname could also be found in the Irish form, as Lighard, Lighard, Leighard, or Lighart. Other Irish forms of the surname include Leahard, Lehir, or Lyard.
The variant surnames of Lydyard originate from Scotland, as the spelling Lycraft can be found. Other Scottish variants of the name are Loftard, Looftard, Livord, Liveard, and Livard.
The surname could be found in the forms of Laward and Laweard in England during the medieval times, whilst the spelling Luyard was recorded in Germany.
In the Scotland, the surname peaked in the 1590s in Aberdeenshire, where the variant spelling Lynert was commonly found. Other Scottish variants include Leyard, Lilyard, and Linhard. Similarly, the variants of Laneard, Langard, Leaneard, and Liannard can also be found with Irish heritage.
Finally, in the United States of America, the surname is mainly recorded as Leyward, although many other variants can still be found in the countries records.
Famous people with the name Lydyard
- Anni-Frid Lyngstad: Better known as Frida, she was one of the lead members of the Swedish pop group ABBA.
- Erika Lydyard: A British fashion model, Erika is best known for her work with the Miss Sixty fashion line.
- Paul Lydyard: An English former professional footballer, Paul played for numerous clubs including Notts County and Lincoln City during his career.
- Ron Lydyard: A former Canadian cross country skier who competed in the 1972 Winter Olympics.
- Mark Lydyard: A Canadian ice hockey goaltender who played in the World Hockey Association during the 1970s.
- Christine Lydyard: An Aboriginal Canadian who was a long-serving municipal politician in Saskatchewan, she was the first Aboriginal woman to become a mayor in Canada.
- Stephen Lydyard: A British physicist and professor, Stephen specialises in medical physics and nuclear medicine.
- Sam Lydyard: A New Zealand footballer who competed in the 1974 World Cup for the national team.
- Mythol Lydyard: An Australian artist who specialises in paper artwork.
- Chris Lydyard: A British shooter, he competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics in the trap event.