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Hardy (surname)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hardy is an English, French,[1][2] and Scottish surname.

It appears that the oldest usage is from the Old French hardi meaning "bold, courageous" which itself comes from Old Frankish hardjan meaning "to make hard".[3] The final -y is also typical of the French proper names (first names, surnames and place names, with the notable exception Henri, when it is a given name).

Some of the oldest Hardy families in England seem to originate from a Norman Knight de Hardy in the mid 11th century. English Hardy families can mainly be found around Dorset and Yorkshire.

In Scotland, Hardi is considered to have either Norman or Viking origin but also from a separate Celtic origin as well and is mainly a Lowland surname. The Celtic variant is a shortened form of Mac Hardie, an Anglicized form of the Mac C(h)ardaih or son of the craftsman, from the root ceardaiche. Scottish Hardys are mainly affiliated with Clan Mackintosh and Clan Farquharson as a sept and the larger Clan Chattan.[4][5][6]

Notable persons with this surname include:

List of persons with the surname

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A

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B

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C

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D

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E

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F

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G

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H

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J

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K

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L

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M

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N

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  • Nelson Hardy, Australian Rugby League player
  • Nell Carter (1948–2003), born Nell Ruth Hardy, American singer and actress

O

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P

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R

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S

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T

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W

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Fictional characters

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Albert Dauzat, Noms et prénoms de France, Librairie Larousse 1980, édition revue et commentée par Marie-Thérèse Morlet. p. 320b.
  2. ^ Géopatronyme : repartition of the surname Hardy in France
  3. ^ Dauzat 320b
  4. ^ "Clan Mackintosh Septs".
  5. ^ "Clan Mackintosh".
  6. ^ "Sept Families Associated with the Clan".