Conard
A surname most likely of Germanic origin, with French forms that also overlap with an old word for a lewd or foolish person.
The #7,431 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 68,886 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The historical evidence points in more than one direction. In Germanic surname tradition, Conard can stand alongside forms like Cunard, Konert, and Kohnert, ultimately related to old personal names built with elements meaning "bold" or "hardy," or with the name Konrad/Conrad. At the same time, French sources show Conard as a spelling associated with the older French word cosnard/cornard, a term used for a foolish or sexually suggestive person, so some bearers may have taken the name from a nickname rather than a given name.
History
19th-century surname dictionaries place Conard among French forms such as Conord and Conort, while also comparing it with German names like Kohnert and Kuhnert. That makes it hard to separate a single source of origin for every family with this surname. In English-speaking countries, the name is relatively uncommon and may reflect either immigrant German/French spelling or later Anglicization of related forms such as Conrad.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
One 19th-century source explicitly links French Conard with cosnard, showing how a surname can overlap with an ordinary insult or nickname word.
From the historical record
“Kuhneri; Kuhnat; zsgz. Kuhnt — Kunnert — Kühnert — Conard; Kohneri — Köhnert — Kaunert. Gen. Konertx. Patr. A. Conerding.”
— Die deutschen Familiennamen