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Does anyone have any background information about the meaning or history of this surname? It's German, and I suspect the original pronunciation was "H + ear + D," with the long "e" sound. I think it's been anglicized, because my relatives with this surname pronounce it "heard," like the past tense verb of hear. The family first emigrated from Germany to the U.S. in the second half of the nineteenth century, if that information is any help. Thanks for any info you can find!