Leaird

Leaird is a surname of relatively low frequency and, in some cases, a variant spelling of the more common surname Laird. The root Laird is a Scots word meaning landowner or lord of the manor, and Leaird most likely arose as an orthographic variant in medieval or early modern English and Scots-language records. Over time, the spelling has persisted in families that adopted the surname during migration and settlement in English-speaking countries.

As a surname, Leaird is most often found in North America and the British Isles in genealogical and civil records, though it remains much less common than Laird. Distribution and frequency data show small clusters in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, reflecting broader Scottish diaspora patterns.

There are no widely recognized geographic features, municipalities, or institutions by the name Leaird in major reference works. Any such uses are likely local or historical and may appear in regional archives or plat maps. For further confirmation of a particular lineage or place name, consulting genealogical databases, civil registration indexes, and local historical societies is recommended.

See also: Laird, Leard, and other variant spellings in surname studies.