Baird family crest

Clan Baird

The Sirname of BAIRD is originally of the South of France, where there were several Families of it in the reign of Louis IV, and it is said are still, but the first of the name mentioned in Britain came from Normandy to England with William the Conqueror. And from the time when it first appears in Scotland, there is reason to believe that some of that name came here with King William the Lyon, when he returned from his captivity in England, anno 1174, as it is agreed by all our historians, several English gentlemen did. For it is certain that in less than sixty years after that period, they possessed fine estates, and had made good alliances in the South and South West counties of Scotland. And although, in times so remote, and in which most other families, as well as those of that name, have suffered eclipses, or removal from one part of the kingdom to another, whereby their old writings have been frequently lost, it may be now impossible to make out a regular genealogy of anyone of them, yet the following extracts, from authors of unquestionable credit, will show that the name was both ancient and honorable in Scotland, as well as in France and England.

I must first premise that the old spelling was Bard, Barde, Beard, Byrd, and Bayard, and that it was never written Baird till the latter end of the sixteenth century. This is common to all old names, and must have been owing to the different pronunciation between one province of France and another, and in Germany and Holland, and New York, which was long possessed by the Dutch, I have observed it spelt Bard and Bardt, and Baort. .... by William Baird, 1770 ..... more

• A1. Sir Lawrence Bard of Posso, lvd:1364, m. N. Somerville;
  • B1. James Baird, lvd:1430;
    • C1. James Baird, lvd:1436, m. Elisabeth Gordon;
      • D1. Thomas Baird, m. Helen Urquhart;
        • E1. Thomas Baird, m. Janet Maitland;
          • F1. George Baird, lvd:1516/1557, m. Janet Fraser;  ==>  Clan Fraser
            • G1. Walter Baird of Ordinhivas, lvd:1559/1599, m. Catherine Grant;
              • H1. Lilias Baird, lvd:1578, m. Gilbert Baird*;
  • B2. (one or more generation missing)
    • C1. Sir Gilbert Baird of Posso, d:1513 Flodden;
      • D1. Andrew Baird of Lavoroklaw, lvd:1475/1543, m. Elizabeth Learmonth;
        • E1. George Baird, d:1593, m. Elisabeth Keith;  ==>  Clan Keith
          • F1. *Gilbert Baird, lvd:1578/1620, m. Lilias Baird;
            • G1. George Baird of Auchmedden, Sheriff of Banff, d:1642, m. Anne Fraser;  ==>  Clan Fraser
              • H1. Sir James Baird of Auchmedden, lvd:1641, m. Christian Ogilvy;  ==>  Clan Ogilvy
                • I1. Elisabeth Baird, d:1668, m. Sir Alexander Abercrombie;  <==  Clan Abercrombie