Find out how popular the last name Ovard is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ovard.

Ovard, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ovard surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ovard in America

Ovard is the 56972nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ovard surname appeared 358 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ovard.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ovard to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Ovard

The surname Ovard has its roots in the Old French language, originating in the northern regions of France during the medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "ovre," which meant "work" or "labor." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname given to individuals involved in manual labor or craftwork.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ovard can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and property holdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The Domesday Book mentions an individual named Ovrard de Bracy, who held lands in Leicestershire.

During the 13th century, the name Ovard appeared in various historical records across northern France and parts of England, where many French surnames were introduced after the Norman Conquest in 1066. One notable bearer of the name was Philippe Ovard, a skilled stonemason from Normandy who was commissioned to work on the construction of several Gothic cathedrals in the late 12th century.

In the 14th century, the surname Ovard was also found in areas of Scotland, where it may have been introduced by Norman settlers or through trade and migration. One of the earliest recorded Scottish individuals with the surname was John Ovard, a merchant from Aberdeen who was mentioned in local records from the 1380s.

Over the centuries, the surname Ovard has undergone various spelling variations, including Ovart, Ouvert, and Overett. These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects, pronunciation differences, and scribal errors in historical records.

Notable individuals with the surname Ovard throughout history include:

1. William Ovard (c. 1520 - 1591), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Dean of Winchester Cathedral.
2. Marie Ovard (1589 - 1661), a French noblewoman and patron of the arts, known for her patronage of the playwright Pierre Corneille.
3. James Ovard (1742 - 1818), a Scottish merchant and explorer who documented his travels through the Americas in the late 18th century.
4. Émilie Ovard (1803 - 1876), a French novelist and poet whose works often explored themes of love and social commentary.
5. Robert Ovard (1867 - 1943), a British architect known for his contributions to the Arts and Crafts movement and the design of several notable buildings in London.

While the surname Ovard may have evolved over time and spread to different regions, its roots can be traced back to medieval France and its association with manual labor or craftwork.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ovard

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ovard.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ovard was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ovard has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ovard was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ovard, please contact us.

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