HEYWARD Family History

Recorded in the spellings of Hayward, Haward, and Heyward, this is an English surname. It originates from the pre 7th Century words "hege" meaning hedge or fence, plus "weard", a watch or guardian. It was an occupational status surname for a person employed on an estate or settlement, to check and arrange the repair of all the fences and walls, to prevent unauthorised access to the royal hunting parks by poachers, and to deter cattle from breaking through into the arable lands and destroying crops.