Lillard
A surname most likely from a nickname or an altered form of an older personal name, rather than from a place or trade.
The #8,427 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 78,721 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Lillard is generally treated as an English surname of uncertain exact origin. It may be a reduced or altered form of an older personal name, or a nickname surname that later became hereditary. The ending -ard often appears in surnames that developed from medieval bynames or given names, but the precise source of Lillard is not securely established.
History
The surname is recorded in English-speaking countries and is now most familiar in the United States. As with many less common surnames, its spelling may have been stabilized only relatively recently, with local pronunciation helping preserve the modern form. Because the name is not firmly tied to a single well-attested medieval origin, family lines may not share one common source.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The name is uncommon enough that different family branches may have independently preserved very similar spellings over time.