Siward

This unusual and interesting name has two possible sources of origin. It is found in England, Scotland and Ireland in various forms. The English origin is a metonymic occupational name for an armourer from the Olde English 7th Century 'Sweord', Sword, and the variants include Sword and Sworder. The name appears in Scotland and Ireland as Siward and O' Suaird, both a derivation of the personal name Suart itself derived from the Olde English pre 7th Century 'sigeweard', composed of the elements 'sige', victory and 'weard', protect. At St. Dunstans, Stepney, London, Christopher Sword the infant son of David and Elizabeth Sword was christened on 24th July 1645. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Robert Suerd, which was dated 1185, in the Pipe Rolls Berkshire, during the reign of King Henry 11, known as the Builder of Churches, 1154 - 1189. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.