Sighard

This interesting and unusual surname is of French origin, and is a cognate of the German name Sieghard, from a personal name composed of the elements "sigi", meaning victory, and "hard", hard, brave or strong. In the modern idiom the variants include Sichardt, Si(e)ghart, and Siehard. The name in this form is first recorded in London in the late 19th Century, with the marriages of Elizabet Scard and John Harvey on July 29th 1782, at St. Mary's, St. Marylebone Road, and of Ann Scard and Richard Humphry on June 26th 1782, at St. James', Westminster, and although the name may have been introduced into England earlier than this, there is no recorded evidence to confirm this. However, Scard may also derive from the German name Schade, a locational name for one who lived on moorland or fenland, and also a nickname for an outlaw. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Scord, which was dated February 14th 1686, christened at St. James', Clerkenwell, London, during the reign of King James 11, known as "The Last Catholic King", 1685 - 1688. 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.