This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'at the orchard.' Many local terms took an initial 'n', which in reality was the final letter of the prefix -aten (= at the). Thus arose Noakes, Nash, Nalder, Nangle, &c. Orchard was no exception. I find, for instance:

Robert atte Northeherd, Oxfordshire, 20 Edward I: Placita de Quo Warranto, temp. Edward I-III.

Which more correctly should be Robert atten Orthcherd. But in general the entries run thus:

John de la Orchards, Somerset, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Richard atte Orchard, Somerset, 1 Edward III: Kirby's Quest.

John atte Orchard, Close Rolls, 14 Edward III.

William de la Orchard, Dorset, 1316. Writs of Parliament.

1683. Married — Robert Orchard and Elisebeth Goodlad: St. James, Clerkenwell.

An old spelling of Urquhart, which see, which has crystJliz d into a separate surname. Orchart 1548.

(English, Scottish) Dweller at a fruit garden; corruption of Urquhart, q.v., from its early pronunciation; one who came from Orchard, the name of several places in England and one in Scotland.

Originally meant wyrt-yard (A-Sax.), an enclosure for the growth of wyrts or herbs, rather than of apple-trees, as at present. The original bearers of this name must therefore have been gardeners.

A collection of fruit trees.

Local. An inclosure of fruit—trees. Orcheard, Gaelic, a goldsmith.

Orchard is an ancient name in this county. William Ordgor held land in Hatfield in the reign of Edward I., and Adam Orgar held land in Stevenage in the time of Charles I. (Cl.). The arms of Orchard are quartered on a memorial in Aldenham church that bears the date of 1650; in 1811 Thomas Orchard made a small annual bequest for the oldest widow of Sawbridgeworth "not being a dissenter" (Cus.). In the reign of Edward I., Orchard and Oregare were Oxfordshire names, Orgar was found in Cambridgeshire, and De la Orcharde occurred in Somerset (H. R.). If it were not that Appleyard was an old Herts name and that Applegarth, its synonym, was represented in the 13th century in the surrounding counties of Essex and Bucks (H. R.), I should be inclined to think that the name of Orchard might have had more than one origin. It is, however, remarkable that Prince, in his "Worthies of Devon," speaks of Orgar as Duke of Devonshire in the 9th century.