Willard
A surname from an old Germanic personal name meaning “resolutely brave” or “strong in will,” later also explained as “son of Willihard.”
The #1,690 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 14,460 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The strongest explanation traces Willard to the old Germanic personal name Wilhard or Willihard, built from elements meaning “will” or “desire” and “hard” in the older sense of “hardy, brave, strong.” In English records and place-names, the name appears in forms like Wilard and Wielard, which supports an early pre-Norman personal-name origin. Some 19th-century writers also connected the surname with French Guillard, but that is best treated as a related or secondary development rather than the main source.
History
The name is long established in southeast England, especially Kent and East Sussex, where Lower says the family had been found since the 13th century. Bardsley treats Willard/Wellard as a patronymic meaning “the son of Willihard,” and notes its concentration in Kent. Later family traditions sometimes claimed Norman descent, but the older scholarship cited here argues for an older Saxon or pre-Norman English origin.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same old personal name seems to survive not only in the surname Willard but also in old place-name forms such as Willardby and Willardesham.
From the historical record
“WILLANS, Willan's (Son). WILLARD (Eng.) the A.-Sax. pers. name Wilh{e)ard — Resolutely Brave [v. under Will' and -|- O.E. h{e)ard, hard, brave] (A.-Fr.-Teut.) the French Guillard: (a) f. the O.Ger. Will{h)ard, Willihard, cogn. of A.-Sax. Wilh{e)ard [as above] ; (6) f. the first element of one or other of the…”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)