What does the surname Girard mean?
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From the Germanic Gerard — ger (spear) plus hard (brave), 'brave with the spear' — Girard and Gérard being its French forms. Girard is a French form of the Frankish name Gerard, the spear and the hard edge — kin to every English Gerard and German Gerhard, and a common surname carried early into New France.
Is Girard a French surname?
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Yes, Girard is a French surname. Its editorial home in this atlas is French, where the historical territory and family record of the name are concentrated.
How old is the Girard surname?
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Girard is a French form of the Frankish name Gerard, the spear and the hard edge — kin to every English Gerard and German Gerhard, and a common surname carried early into New France. European hereditary surnames crystallised broadly between the 12th and 14th centuries, and the Girard name took its modern form within that long settlement.
What is the Girard family known for?
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Brave with the spear — the French Gerard. Girard is a French form of the Frankish name Gerard, the spear and the hard edge — kin to every English Gerard and German Gerhard, and a common surname carried early into New France.
Is Gérard the same family as Girard?
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Yes. Gérard is a historical spelling variant of the Girard name. The two share the same lineage and family affiliation; different parishes, clerks and migration registrars recorded the same name in slightly different forms, and the variant spellings sit on the same family tree.
Is Gerard the same family as Girard?
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Yes. Gerard is a historical spelling variant of the Girard name. The two share the same lineage and family affiliation; different parishes, clerks and migration registrars recorded the same name in slightly different forms, and the variant spellings sit on the same family tree.
Where is the Girard surname found today?
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French is the primary historical home of the Girard surname. In the modern era, the name is also borne across the wider diaspora, particularly in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, where families carry the line of descent from the same French origin recorded on this page.
What does the Clan Rising page for the Girard family cover?
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The Clan Rising page for the Girard family covers the meaning of the surname, the historical geography of the name and the seat of the head of the family. Each section is linked to the underlying atlas of French so the name can be read in the geography that shaped it.
Who is the head of the Girard family today?
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The seat for the head of the Girard family is currently vacant on this register. Clan Rising is rebuilding the chief and family structure for the modern era, and the family page allows readers to claim the seat or pledge to the name.