Lockhart
A Scottish surname most often explained as meaning “strong lock” or “hardy, steadfast,” though some early sources linked it to a Norman name form.
The #1,261 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 11,073 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The name is usually treated as Scottish and traditionally associated with the Lockhart family of Lanarkshire. Some older writers connected it with a legendary phrase about a lock of hair from Robert the Bruce, but that story is now generally regarded as folk etymology rather than the true origin. Another line of scholarship points to an earlier form such as Loccard/Locard, which suggests a Norman or Old French personal-name source; one 19th-century explanation also tried to break it into elements like Old Norse "Loki" and "hardr" (“hard, strong”), but that is less secure.
History
Lockhart is an old Scottish surname, long associated with the Lockharts of Lanark and later with the broader clan and family tradition. The name has been discussed in several conflicting ways by historical surname scholars, which is why it is often treated cautiously in reference works. In modern use it remains strongly identified with Scotland, though it is now found in the wider English-speaking world.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A famous romantic explanation says the name came from a family member carrying Robert the Bruce’s heart to the Holy Land, but historians usually treat that as a later legend rather than the real etymology.
From the historical record
“LOCKETT. A corruption of Lock- hart. LOCKHART. SeeLockavd above— afar uaore probable origin than that assigned by tradition. King Robert Bruce ordered his licaH to be conveyed to the Holy Laud for burial, and the good Sir James, Lord Douglas, was deputed to carry it thither. One of his attendants took his surname…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom