Bird/Byrd
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Bird/Byrd Surname Genealogy
The Bird surname derived from the Old English bridde, meaning "bird," and was originally in England a nickname for someone who was thought to have bird-like qualities (in their gait or because of their singing voice). Occasionally Bird or a variant may have been an occupational name for a bird catcher.
Hugo le Bird - the name coming from the French l'oiseau and deriving perhaps from his skill at falconry - was said to have arrived with William the Conqueror in 1066. Early appearences of the surname in England were Ralph le Brid in Essex in 1231 and Richard Bird in Cambridgeshire in 1260.
Spellings are Bird and Byrd. The Bird spelling is most common in England, Byrd in America.
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England. Although the Bird form was first found in the Northumbrian dialect of English, early Bird families came from Cheshire (Braxton) and Staffordshire (Metley). The name spread to Lancashire, the Midlands, London and East Anglia.
Alfred Bird of Bird's custard fame was born in Gloucestershire, but started his business in Birmingham in the 1840's. Birds is also a bakery company begun in Derby in 1919 by three Bird brothers - Frank, Thomas and Reginald - after their return from World War One. It is now run by the third generation of Birds.
Byrd as a spelling may have started in the 15th century. William Byrd, born in London, was Queen Elizabeth's favorite musician and composer. Another William Byrd, the forebear of the Byrds in Virginia, was the son of a London goldsmith. A Byrd family was one of the big landowners at Badsey of the Vale of Evesham in Worcestershire in the 18th century. The Byrd spelling persisted in the west country, although the Byrd numbers here were quite small by the time of the 1891 census.
Ireland. Bird appeared as a surname in Ireland as an anglicization of the Irish McEneaney, although this was apparently a mistranslation. Some Birds in Ireland, however, were of English extraction - like Samuel Bird who went to Ireland with William's army in 1690 and then settled in Donegal.
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Alfred Bird was the inventor of custard and the founder of Bird's Custard Company in 1840.
Harry F. Byrd, Governor and Senator, was a leading figure in Virginia political life in the first half of the 20th century.
Charlie Byrd was an American jazz guitarist. His best-known work was a 1962 collaboration with Stan Getz entitled Jazz Samba.
The Byrds, sometimes Bob Dylan's backup band, were one of the most influential American bands of the 1960's.
Vere Bird was the first independent Prime Minister of Antigua in 1981.
Larry Bird was one of the great American basketball players of the 1980's with the Boston Celtics.
Dickie Bird was a popular cricket umpire in England.
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The Bird surname derived from the Old English bridde, meaning "bird," and was originally in England a nickname for someone who was thought to have bird-like qualities (in their gait or because of their singing voice). Occasionally Bird or a variant may have been an occupational name for a bird catcher.
Hugo le Bird - the name coming from the French l'oiseau and deriving perhaps from his skill at falconry - was said to have arrived with William the Conqueror in 1066. Early appearences of the surname in England were Ralph le Brid in Essex in 1231 and Richard Bird in Cambridgeshire in 1260.
Spellings are Bird and Byrd. The Bird spelling is most common in England, Byrd in America.
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- Bird Family Tree. Birds in Suffolk.
- The Byrd Family. Byrds of Badsey in Worcestershire.
- The Byrd Family. The Byrd family of Virginia.
- Byrd Family Page. Byrds of North Carolina.
- Bird Family. Birds from Ireland to Canada.
England. Although the Bird form was first found in the Northumbrian dialect of English, early Bird families came from Cheshire (Braxton) and Staffordshire (Metley). The name spread to Lancashire, the Midlands, London and East Anglia.
Alfred Bird of Bird's custard fame was born in Gloucestershire, but started his business in Birmingham in the 1840's. Birds is also a bakery company begun in Derby in 1919 by three Bird brothers - Frank, Thomas and Reginald - after their return from World War One. It is now run by the third generation of Birds.
Byrd as a spelling may have started in the 15th century. William Byrd, born in London, was Queen Elizabeth's favorite musician and composer. Another William Byrd, the forebear of the Byrds in Virginia, was the son of a London goldsmith. A Byrd family was one of the big landowners at Badsey of the Vale of Evesham in Worcestershire in the 18th century. The Byrd spelling persisted in the west country, although the Byrd numbers here were quite small by the time of the 1891 census.
Ireland. Bird appeared as a surname in Ireland as an anglicization of the Irish McEneaney, although this was apparently a mistranslation. Some Birds in Ireland, however, were of English extraction - like Samuel Bird who went to Ireland with William's army in 1690 and then settled in Donegal.
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further stories and accounts:
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Alfred Bird was the inventor of custard and the founder of Bird's Custard Company in 1840.
Harry F. Byrd, Governor and Senator, was a leading figure in Virginia political life in the first half of the 20th century.
Charlie Byrd was an American jazz guitarist. His best-known work was a 1962 collaboration with Stan Getz entitled Jazz Samba.
The Byrds, sometimes Bob Dylan's backup band, were one of the most influential American bands of the 1960's.
Vere Bird was the first independent Prime Minister of Antigua in 1981.
Larry Bird was one of the great American basketball players of the 1980's with the Boston Celtics.
Dickie Bird was a popular cricket umpire in England.
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