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

Southard, 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 Southard surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Southard in America

Southard is the 4035th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Southard surname appeared 8,808 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Southard.

We can also compare 2010 data for Southard 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 Southard

The surname Southard is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words "sūth" meaning "south" and "ard" meaning "a high place or ridge." This indicates that the name was likely given to someone who lived near a prominent southern hill or ridge.

Southard is a variant spelling of the more common Southward, which is found in records from the 13th century onwards. The earliest known bearer of the name was William Suthward, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1221.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a settlement called "Sudhuuard" is recorded in Wiltshire. This place name is believed to be the origin of the Southard surname, as it would have been used to identify people from that location.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Southard spelling is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327, where a John Southard is listed. Another early bearer of the name was John Southard, who was born in Somerset around 1510 and served as a member of the English Parliament.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Southard surname appeared in various records across southern England, particularly in Devon, Somerset, and Wiltshire. Notable individuals from this period include Sir John Southard (1592-1658), a English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Honiton, and Edward Southard (1629-1698), a wealthy landowner and benefactor from Somerset.

In the 18th century, the Southard family had established branches in America, with several individuals bearing the name arriving as early settlers in New England and the Mid-Atlantic colonies. One notable American with this surname was Samuel Lewis Southard (1787-1842), who served as the 10th United States Secretary of the Navy and as a Senator from New Jersey.

Other historical figures with the Southard surname include Henry Southard (1749-1842), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War, and William Southard (1821-1892), an American lawyer and politician who served as a Congressman from Ohio.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Southard

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

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 Southard 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 Southard 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 Southard was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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