Where does “Harvard” come from?

Harvard derives from the Middle English personal name Hereward, which meant "army defender" and was borne by the Anglo-Saxon rebel Hereward the Wake.

Ancestry of “Harvard”, step by step

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Middle English	Herward	—
2	Old English	Hereweard	—
3	Old English	weard	guard; guard, the action of looking out for...
4	Old English	ōra	ore, unwrought metal
5	Old English	ēar	sea, ocean; grave, earth
6	Proto-Germanic	ahaz	ear
7	Proto-Finnic	ahtas	narrow, cramped
8	Proto-Baltic	anśtas	—
9	Proto-Indo-European	h₂énǵʰus	narrow, tight
10	Proto-Indo-European	h₂enǵʰ-	to constrict, tighten, compress; narrow, tight;...

Harvard — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer