Byrd
An English surname that usually began as a nickname for a bird-like person or as a variant spelling of Bird.
The #331 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 3,323 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Byrd is generally an English surname from Middle English bird, "bird," used as a nickname, probably for someone thought to be lively, light, or birdlike in some way. In historical spelling, Byrd often appears alongside Bird and other variants, and older writers sometimes treated it as just a regional spelling of the same name. Some 19th-century speculation linked certain spellings to French or other foreign influences, but the safest explanation is the straightforward English one.
History
The surname is well established in England and later became common in the United States. Historical surname atlases place Byrd especially in parts of southern and western England, with some regional pockets where it appears in place of Bird. In America it has been carried by several notable families, helping it remain a recognizable surname in modern use.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Surname atlases record Byrd as a regional spelling that could stand in for Bird in some English counties, especially where that form was less common.
From the historical record
“the martm, which takes its name from the saint, is also known as the mariitl, 'Martnet, byrd, turdus': Prompt. Parv. 'Martynct,a byrde, marHiui': Palsg. lohanaei fit. MeiteL co. Norf., 1173. A. Robert Hand, co. Sorf,, Ibld- WalKr Manel^ co. Norf., ibid.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances