COLLARD
The surname Collard appears in records across the British Isles and continental Europe, and is recognised as having both English and French roots. This dual origin reflects the historical interactions between the two cultures during the Middle Ages and later periods.
In the French context, the name is derived from the Old French word colart, meaning “cabbage.” It is believed to have originally been a nickname for an individual who cultivated or sold cabbages, or who was in some way associated with the vegetable. The occupational suffix -ard was then added to create the surname.
In England, the surname developed from a pet form of the personal name Nicholas, itself derived from the Greek Nikolaos meaning “victory of the people.” The diminutive “Col” or “Coll” was combined with the nickname suffix -ard to produce Collard. This transformation aligns with a broader medieval practice of deriving surnames from familiar personal names.
The earliest surviving spelling is that of Richard Colard, recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1332 during the reign of King Edward I. Subsequent documentary evidence includes the London Church Registers, where a marriage between John Collard and Jone Bankin on 23 March 1559 at St. Mary's, Lewisham, is recorded; a further union of Edward Collard and Dorothye Hyckeman on 1 December 1590 at St. Bride's, Fleet Street; and the christening of Christopher Collarde on 3 February 1594 at St. Martin in the Fields, Westminster.
Multiple orthographic variants have been documented. These include Colard, Collarde, Collart, Collarts, Collardey, Collartt, Coller, and Collier. In some regions, it has also been anglicised to surnames such as Coulard and Coullard. The diversity of spellings reflects regional pronunciation differences and the fluidity of orthography in pre‑modern England.
A prominent bear of the name was Frederick William Collard (1772 – 1860), a piano‑forte manufacturer. He was a partner in the firm of Clementi and Co. from 1800 to 1831, and subsequently founded the company Collard and Collard, which operated until 1860. His inclusion in the Dictionary of National Biography underscores the significance of the Collard name in the industrial and cultural history of the period.
The arms associated with the Collard family were granted for an ancestor who was connected with the name in Scotland. The escutcheon is azure, bearing three ladies’ heads arranged in fesse and placed between three fleurs‑de‑lis argent. This heraldic description is preserved in the official roll of arms and serves as a visual record of the family’s status.
Contemporary bearers of the surname are most commonly found in the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Canada, and the United States, a pattern that mirrors historic migration flows. Despite its spread, the name remains relatively uncommon and retains a strong genealogical link to its medieval origins.
Typical given names associated with the Collard surname
Male
- Andrew
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Alison
- Anne
- Clare
- Julie
- Karen
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Rebecca
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Collard in...
Braille
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Morse
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There are approximately 2,803 people named Collard in the UK. That makes it roughly the 3,189th most common surname in Britain. Around 43 in a million people in Britain are named Collard.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Collard
- Rob Collard - Racing driver
- Paul Collard - Business entrepreneur (1953 to 2005)
- Ricky Collard - Racing driver
- Richard Collard - Politician (1911 to 1962)
- Douglas Collard - Cricketer
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.