About the Byrde Surname

Byrde? Think of it as Byrd with a different pen.

What does the surname Byrde mean?

Surname dictionaries give the meaning as “Bird (nickname)”.

How is Byrde related to Byrd?

The extra “e” in Byrde is a spelling habit rather than a different name. Spellings drifted because names were written down by ear in parish books, tax rolls and passenger lists. The same family of names includes Burd and Bird.

Does every Byrde family have a crest?

Arms linked to Byrd and its spellings were granted to individual families; our heraldry team traces which line they belonged to.

Get the complete Byrde report, with a museum-style coat of arms.