Ward Name Origin, Meaning and Family History

Ward Name Meaning: Of English and Irish origin. The Irish name comes form the Gaelic Mac an Bhaird meaning ‘son of the poet’ The old English name comes from the occupational name for a guard or watchman. Ward may also have been given as a name to someone who lived near a guardhouse.

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Surname Distribution

Census frequency by county

Name Concentrations Within England and Wales

Ward Surname Statistics


Top Professions for the Ward family

Profession Census Frequency
Scholar 10,993
Agricultural Labourer 1,055
General Labourer 992
Coal Miner 959
Dress Maker 596
Domestic Servant 595
Living On Own Means 528
Cotton Weaver 507
Labourer 493
Farmer 446
Living On Her Own Means 380
General Servant Domestic 371
Farm Labourer 352
General Servant 325
Laundress 314
Clerk 226
Farm Servant 219
Blacksmith 215
Carpenter 210
Gardener 201
House Keeper 196
Shoe Maker 195
Grocer 188
Joiner 183
General Domestic Servant 181

Ward Surname Variants Ranking

Rank Surname Match Census Frequency
1 Ward 100% 471,018
2 Word 75% 7,581
3 Warde 80% 3,273
4 Wride 40% 1,818
5 Eward 80% 155
6 Wrede 40% 103
7 Award 80% 102
8 Weard 80% 100

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The surname Ward is the most popular version of all its varients

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