William Lord

Good site for the Lord line:

http://www.renderplus.com/hartgen/htm/lord.htm

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The surname of LORD was derived from the Old English word 'hlalord' a nickname, often used no doubt, for one who aped the Lord. It may also have been used as an occupational name for a servant in the household of the lord of the manor, or possibly a status name for a landlord or the lord of the manor himself. The word hlalord, meant 'loaf-keeper' and the lord or chief of the clan was responsible for providing food for his dependants. Occupational surnames originally denoted the actual occupation followed by the individual. At what period they became hereditary is a difficult problem. Many of the occupation names were descriptive and could be varied. In the Middle Ages, at least among the Christian population, people did not usually pursue specialized occupations exclusively to the extent that we do today, and they would, in fact, turn their hand to any form of work that needed to be done, particularly in a large house or mansion, or on farms and smallholdings. In early documents, surnames often refer to the actual holder of an office, whether the church or state. Early records of the name mention William le Lalord who was documented in the year 1198 in County Suffolk and John le Lord appears in 1252 in County Lancashire. Roger le Lord was recorded in County Cambridge, 1273. A later instance of the name mentions Judith Lord who was baptised at St. James's, Clerkenwell, London in 1642. In many parts of central and western Europe, hereditary surnames began to become fixed at around the 12th century, and have developed and changed slowly over the years. As society became more complex, and such matters as the management of tenure, and in particular the collection of taxes were delegated to special functionaries, it became imperative to distinguish a more complex system of nomenclature to differentiate one individual from another. An Australian family of this name was founded by Simeon Lord (1771-1840). He was born in Dobroyd, Yorkshire, and in 1790 was sentenced to seven years transportation for stealing tenpence worth of fabric. The associated arms are recorded in Sir Bernard Burkes General Armory. Ulster King of Arms in 1884. Registered in London.