An Old English personal name from Follcheard (Folkweard), later Folcard, 'people brave.' Some time before 1218 Henry, abbot of Kelso, granted to Richard, son of Solph, the lands of Folcariston in Lesmahago, as held by his father and ancestors (Kelso, p. 78). Adam de Folcartun (see Folkardton), mentioned in 1240, was probably his son. His descendants appear to have dropped the-ton and figure in record as Folkerts or Fokkarts of Fokkartoun till the beginning of the sixteenth century. William Folkard in 1294 witnessed resignation by Adam de Dowane of his land of Dowane in the barony of Lesmahagow (Kelso, 192). In 1301 dominus Alexander ffolkard, miles, witnessed resignation by Adam de Dowane, junior, of all his lands in the vill of Dowane (ibid., 193), and c. 1311 he also witnessed a charter of resignation by Adam de Dowane, senior, of his land of Grenryg (ibid., 195). In 1315 there is entry of a claim by Alexander Folkard to ten chalders of meal (ibid., 188), Quintin Folkard had a permit to come to London on his private affairs in 1405 (Bain, IV, 696), and John Falkard was master of the ship 'le Katherine' of St. John's town in 1441 (ibid., 1149). The family ended in the direct line in an heiress, Elizabeth Folkart, who became spouse of James Carmichell of Balmady in 1495 (Kelso, 553). Patrick Fokert was ambassador to the king of Castile in 1458. Thomas Fowcard, a Scotsman, who petitioned for a safe conduct into England, 1464 (Bain, IV, 1343), may have been Thomas Folcart, dean of guild of Edinburgh (Neubotle, p. 268), and the Thomas Fokert who sat in parliament for Edinburgh, 1467 (Foster, p. 139). John Fokert or Fokart was tenant on the lands of the Abbey of Kelso, 1567 (Kelso, p. 524), and in 1574 there is recorded an act in favor of Janet Fokart (RPC., II, p. 719). The name appears as Fokartte in Workman MS. Fockert 1623, Fokhart 1503.

Fulcher or Fulcherus, a Domesd. name, is doubtless the same as Folchard or Folcard, borne by an eminent Flemish scholar, who settled in England about the time of the Conquest and became abbot of Thorney.

The Folkards are now established in the Colchester district. Folcard, an eminent Flemish scholar, was abbot of Thorney, Cambridgeshire, in the 11th century (L.). There was a John Folkard in Bucks in the 13th century (H. R.).