Ward is an English surname from the Old English weard and means "guard" or "watchman", a name for someone who kept watch over a town or castle. It was a modest first name in the early 20th century, worn by actor Ward Bond and the television father Ward Cleaver in Leave It to Beaver. In the United States Ward is a rare retro pick that reached number 2559 in 2022 and ranks at number 2877 in 2025.