Willard Family History

English (Sussex, Kent, and Surrey): from the Middle English personal name Willard, representing either Old English Wilheard or Old French Willard (ancient Germanic Willihard), the source of both of which consists of elements meaning ‘will, desire’ + ‘hardy, brave’. The name may also derive from the Middle English personal name Withelard, shortened to Willard (Old French, ancient Germanic Widelard).

German: variant of Willhardt (see Willert ) and, in North America, (also) an altered form of this.

History: Simon Willard (1605–76) came from Horsmonden, Kent, England, to Boston, MA, in 1634. In that year he became one of the founders of Cambridge, MA, and the following year (1635) was a founder of Concord, MA. Twenty years later, in 1659, he was a founder of Lancaster, MA. Simon Willard was involved in numerous confrontations with the Native Americans, in particular in ‘King Philip's War’ of 1675–76. He had seventeen children and was the ancestor of many prominent Americans.