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Irish surname

Ward: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Mac an Bháird · 'son of the bard' (Irish 'bárd')

Woulfe (1923) prints Ward under Mac an Bháird, 'son of the bard', and says it is a very common surname, found in every county in Ireland but especially in Donegal, Galway and Dublin. He names three families of the name known to history: Tirconnell, Ui Maine and Oriel. In 1890 there were 213 Ward birth entries including spelling varieties.

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Coat of arms associated with the Ward surname
Irish formMac an Bháird
Meaning'son of the bard' (Irish 'bárd')
CountiesDonegal, Galway, Dublin
Other spellings2
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Ward crest gifts

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Origin of the Ward name

Woulfe: three families known to history: Mac an Bháird of Tirconnell, bards to the O'Donnells; Mac an Bháird of Ui Maine, bards to the O'Kellys, seated at Muine Chasain and Ballymacward; and Mac an Bháird of Oriel.[1]

  1. 1173Four Masters: Maelisa Mac Ward, Bishop of Clonfert-Brendan, died.[5]
  2. 1408Four Masters: Mac Ward of Cuil-an-Urtain, Ollav of Hy-Many, died.[6]
  3. 1478Four Masters: Mac Ward (Godfrey) of Tirconnell died of a plague that spread through the province.[7]
  4. 1690'MAC WARD' appears in Sir James Terry's list of Irish septs.[3]
  5. 1890213 Ward birth entries including spelling varieties (211 spelled Ward), found in every county.[2]

Where in Ireland

Co. DonegalWoulfe: 'especially' Donegal; Matheson lists Donegal first in 1890.[1][2]
Co. GalwayWoulfe: 'especially' Galway; Matheson lists it among principal counties in 1890.[1][2]
Co. DublinWoulfe: 'especially' Dublin; Matheson lists it among principal counties in 1890.[1][2]

Notable people named Ward

Hugh Ward, D.D.d. 1635Born in Co. Donegal; Rector of the College of Louvain; Webb says he is known in Irish as Mac an Bhaird.[4]

Other spellings

MacWard · MacAward[1]

The Ward coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Ward surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Ward surname: questions

What does the surname Ward mean?

Woulfe gives Ward (with MacWard and MacAward) under Mac an Bháird, 'son of the bard'.[1]

Is Ward an Irish name?

Woulfe gives Ward as an anglicised form of the Irish Mac an Bháird and calls it 'a very common surname; found in every county in Ireland'.[1][2]

Where in Ireland is Ward from?

Woulfe names three families: Mac an Bháird of Tirconnell (bards to the O'Donnells), of Ui Maine (bards to the O'Kellys) and of Oriel. Matheson says it was found in every county in 1890 but chiefly in Donegal, Dublin and Galway.[1][2]

Who was Hugh Ward of Louvain?

Webb says Hugh Ward, D.D., born in Co. Donegal towards the close of the 16th century, became Rector of the College of Louvain and died on 8 November 1635; he is known in Irish as Mac an Bhaird.[4]

Sources

  1. Mac an Bháird — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/maca/mac-an-bhaird.php
  2. Ward — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/ward.php
  3. List of Names of Irish Septs (Terry, 1690) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/irish-septs.php
  4. Ward, Hugh, D.D. — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/HughWardDD.php
  5. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1173 (part 1) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005C/text001.html
  6. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1408 (part 4) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005D/text004.html
  7. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1478 (part 11) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005D/text011.html

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).