Butchard Family History

From the Old French personal name Burchard, Buchard (Continental Germanic Burghard from elements meaning ‘fortress’ and ‘hard bold’). The name rarely occurs in its original form (see Burchard) but more commonly as B(o)uchard and Bochard with dissimilative loss of the first -r-.

It may also survive as Burkitt and Burchett. Perhaps in some instances a variant of Butcher with excrescent -d, but it is more likely that some examples of Butcher are altered forms by folk etymology of Butchard.