Ward is a Gaelic name of the learned poets — the hereditary bards of Gaelic Ireland.
Where does the Ward name come from?
Ward, in its Irish form, is an anglicised form of the Gaelic Mac an Bhaird, “son of the bard” — from bard, the trained poet who held an honoured, hereditary place in the household of a Gaelic chief. (As an English name, Ward separately means a watchman or guard, but the Irish families take their name from the bardic office.)
The Mac an Bhaird in Ireland
The Mac an Bhaird were among the great learned families of Gaelic Ireland, serving as poets to the O’Donnells of Tyrconnell in Donegal and to the O’Kellys in Galway. As one of the historic bardic names, Ward is found today across Ireland and among the diaspora in the United States, Canada, Australia and Britain.
Did you know?
- The Irish Ward comes from Mac an Bhaird, “son of the bard.”
- A bard was a trained, hereditary poet.
- The family served the O’Donnells of Tyrconnell in Donegal.
- Another branch served the O’Kellys in Galway.
- As an English name, Ward separately means a watchman.
Related Irish family names
You may also like Walsh, Warren, and Barry.
Carry the Ward name with you
We craft heritage gifts for thousands of Irish and Scottish family names — ornaments, woven blankets, mugs and more. To find yours, type it into the search bar at the top of the page, or browse the Ward collection here.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ward an Irish surname?
Yes — in Ireland Ward is a Gaelic surname, from Mac an Bhaird, “son of the bard,” a learned family of Donegal and Galway.
What does Ward mean?
The Irish name means “son of the bard”; as an English name it separately means a watchman or guard.
Is there a Ward family crest?
Families of the name have heraldic traditions; the crest and tartan artwork on our Ward products is created as decorative heritage artwork to celebrate the name.
