Surname Tygard - Meaning and Origin

Tygard: What does the surname Tygard mean?

The last name Tygard originated in the UK and is thought to derive from an Old English name. The most common spelling of this name is Tygard, which comes from “Tyggers”, which in turn could be derived from the Old English personal name Þygga or Thjgga, which describes someone as ambitious and energetic.

The name Tygard has been recorded in parish registers of Somerset as early as 1498. Here it is spelled Tyggers, with further spellings of Tyger and Tigger appearing in surrounding counties.

The Tygard family is distantly related to the royal house of England. Roger Tygard was a descendant of King Edward III and his family famously supplied arms to the royal household.

The Tygards were a notable family of 16th Century England, owning much land and property in Somerset. Over the centuries, various branches of the family have emigrated to Sweden, America, Canada and Australia, and many others can be found in the UK today.

The name Tygard has many meanings associated with it; ambition, energy and perseverance are all qualities associated with this surname. The Tygards were an influential family in English history, one who's influence is still seen today. Despite the distance of time and space, the name Tygard still carries with it a sense of pride and heritage.

Tygard: Where does the name Tygard come from?

The last name Tygard is most commonly found today in the United States and Canada. It is an English-origin surname derived from the Old English "tye" meaning "a clearing or pasture," and "garth," which is a word for "an enclosure or homestead." Tygard is an uncommon last name, currently estimated to be held by fewer than 300 people in the United States and 250 in Canada.

In the United States, the name Tygard is most prevalent in the state of Kentucky, where it is among the top-1,000 surnames, with about 300 current Tygards living there. It is also found around the Great Lakes, particularly in Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Ohio. The southern states of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi also have significant numbers of Tygards, but their total population is fewer than 100.

In Canada, the surname Tygard is most commonly found in the provinces of Ontario and Saskatchewan. It has also been recorded in small numbers in Alberta, Nova Scotia, and British Columbia.

Though the Tygard name has been around for centuries, its connection to any specific family is unclear. Some researchers have hypothesized that the Tygards of America are from a single family hailing from Europe, while others believe the Tygard surname is an anglicized form of a number of European names, such as Tegarden and Tiegard.

Though there are no more than a few hundred individuals with the Tygard surname in the United States and Canada today, it nonetheless retains a proud history with many contributors to the countries' economies and societies.

Variations of the surname Tygard

The surname Tygard is a variant of the two original surnames Tygart and Tiegert, which are dated back to the early 13th century. The alternative spellings for Tygard include:Tigard, Tiegard, Tiegard, Tiggard, Tugard, Tigart, Teagard, Teagert, Teggard, Teggart, Togard, and Tygart.

As the surname evolved and spread Europe wide throughout the centuries, further variant spellings developed such as Tygert, Tyghert, Tyghard, Tyghart, Tyghurte, Tegard, Tegert, Teigerd, Teigert, Teigerte, Teighard, Teigherd, Teegard, Tigar, Tigardt, Teygert and Thigard.

In the 19th century, the main spelling in the US was Tigard, followed by Tygart. By the late 20th century, Tygard had become the main spelling of the surname in the US, while variants such as Tygart, Tegard and Teager were used in other countries.

Surnames of similar origin include Tigar, Tieger, Teiger, Tigler and Tiigler. There are also some more distant variant surnames such as Taggart, Taggett, Taft, Teaff, Tefft and Tefftey.

Although the spelling of the surname Tygard has changed over the centuries, the origin of the surname is most likely from the Middle High German “Tigar” meaning “warrior”.

Famous people with the name Tygard

• Heather Tygard: An American singer-songwriter known for her smooth pop-bluesy country-inspired performances.
• Gary Tygard: A former American football running back who played for the Philadelphia Eagles (1988-1989).
• Kayla Tygard: A professional dancer who is featured in the Netflix original shows Dare Me and The Iliza Shlesinger Sketch Show.
• Brian Tygard: An acclaimed cinematographer and editor who is best known for his work in various movies such as Snakes on a Plane, Paranormal Activity, 21 Jump Street and Food, Inc.
• Laura Tygard: An American screenwriter, most notably known for her work on the films Zodiac and The Magnificent Seven.
• Stan Tygard: A country music singer-songwriter and musician from Nashville, Tennessee.
• Matt Tygard: An adventurer and entrepreneur who specializes in rock climbing, highlining, and woodworking.
• Frank Tygard: A Thoroughbred racing hall of fame jockey who is best known for his successes in many American graded stakes races.
• Bill Tygard: A professional mixer engineer and owner of the recording studio El Paso Studios in Dallas, Texas.
• Tami Tygard: An American actress who has appeared in films such as Hut in the Woods, Big Love and the films of the Blumhouse productions Amityville Horror: The Awakening and Before I Wake.

Other surnames

Tygart