Bard
A descriptive surname referring to a poet or minstrel, derived from the Middle English and Old French term.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,924 Americans carry the last name Bard. That puts it at #5,809 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 49,502 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bard surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
6.9K
1 in 49,502
Census rank
#5,809
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,953 bearers of the surname Bard in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5809th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bard, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Black (7.2%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bard
The surname Bard originated in medieval France and is derived from the Old French word "bard" meaning a poet or minstrel. The name first appeared in the historical records in the 12th century and was likely initially an occupational name for a wandering poet or storyteller.
The earliest known record of the surname Bard dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, which contains the entry "Bardo" in Normandy. This suggests that the name was already in use in France before the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.
In the 13th century, the name Bard was found in various regions of France, including Brittany, Normandy, and the Île-de-France. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Raoul Bard, a poet and troubadour from Brittany who lived in the late 12th and early 13th centuries.
During the Middle Ages, the Bard family established itself in several regions of France, including the provinces of Anjou, Poitou, and Touraine. In the 14th century, the name appeared in the form "Bardus" in the records of the city of Angers.
One notable bearer of the surname was Jean Bard, a French lawyer and diplomat who lived in the 15th century. He served as the ambassador of King Charles VII to the court of the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund.
In the 16th century, the Bard family produced several notable figures, including Jean Bard, a French Protestant theologian and reformer who lived from 1534 to 1599. Another prominent individual was Pierre Bard, a French physician and botanist who lived from 1556 to 1637.
The surname Bard eventually spread beyond France to other parts of Europe and the British Isles. In England, the name was likely introduced by French Huguenot refugees fleeing religious persecution in the 16th and 17th centuries. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name in England was William Bard, a merchant who was born in London in 1635.
Another notable English bearer of the surname was Sir John Bard, a politician and member of Parliament who lived from 1716 to 1784. He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1767.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bard
Among Census respondents with the surname Bard, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Black (7.2%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Bard bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Bard surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.0%
- Black or African American7.2%
- Hispanic or Latino2.7%
- Two or more races2.1%
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Bard surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,809 | #5,809 | 0.0% |
| Count | 5,953 | 5,953 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.02 | 2.02 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Bard bearers went from 5,953 to 5,953 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #5,809 to #5,809.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bard
FAQ
Bard surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Bard?
The surname Bard holds position #5,809 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 6,924 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 2.02 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Bard surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bard, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Black (7.2%) and Hispanic (2.7%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.