An English and Scottish surname, Beard, comes from the Old English term of ‘brerd’ which referred to the rim of a river bank. Later meanings include to hide from suspicion. Variations in spelling for Beard include Baard, Bayard, Bard, Baird and Barde. In England the northern and central regions have many with the Beard surname, including Yorkshire, Lancashire, Derbyshire, Warwickshire, Essex, Gloucestershire, Cornwall and the city of London. In Scotland the Beard surname is concentrated in Lanarkshire, Midlothian, Fife and Perthshire. Within the United States the Beard surname is primarily in many mid-west and eastern states. The higher percentages are in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Mississippi, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Indiana, Michigan, New York and Kentucky. Famous: Andrew Jackson Beard (19th century inventor of a railroad coupler device), Butch Beard (professional basket player and coach), Frank Beard (professional golfer), Henry Beard (founder of National Lampoon magazine), Philip Beard (novelist), Ralph Beard (professional baseball player), John Beard (Welsh artist) and Matthew Beard (child actor).