This page is historical. Follow this link for the current version.
Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Bastard m. Old French bastard 'bastard', from bast 'pack-saddle' + the pejorative suffix -ard.

Cite as: J. Uckelman, S.L. Uckelman. "Bastard". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2021, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2021/1/name/Bastard.