Hord
An English surname most likely from Old English words for a hoard, treasure, or storehouse, though some cases may also be linked to Howard or Herd.
The #9,515 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 90,382 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The strongest historical explanation connects Hord with Old English hord, meaning a hoard, treasure, or store of valuables. In surname use, this could have begun as a nickname for someone who guarded goods or was associated with a treasury or storehouse. Some older writers also treated Hord as a variant of Howard or as related to Herd, so not every family with this spelling necessarily shares the same origin.
History
The name appears in medieval English records in forms such as le Hord and Horder, showing that it was in use by the 14th century. Later surname dictionaries sometimes grouped Hord with Howard or Herd, which suggests that spellings and interpretations were not stable. Today it remains a relatively uncommon surname in the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The Old English word behind this surname is the ancestor of modern English "hoard," so the name literally points to treasure or something carefully saved.
From the historical record
“horse. HORD. Has been considered a corrup- tion of Howard. Herd is however a Swe- dish surname, and it was borne by a distin- guished general of Charles XII. HORDE. Probably the same as Howard, or as Herd. HORDEN. Dispensator, steward. Camd. From A-Sax. Ii6rd, a hoard, or treasury, HORE. See Hoare,”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom