A term of civil dignity, a master, ruler, the proprietor of a manor, derived from the Anglo-Saxon ord, which comes from ored, a governor, with the prefix of the letter L, le, denoting the person or place. Gaelic, ard, ord, high, lofty, the prime chief, superior. Lord has been derived from Hlaford, which is compounded of Hlaf, a loaf, and ford, to give,--a bread-giver.

Arthur, William (1857) An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. New York: Sheldon, Blakeman. Public Domain.

LORD. LORDE. A title given to monks and persons of superior rank ; the equivalent of Dominus and Dan, which signify nothing more than master. In old times a sort of sobriquet, applied to the leaders of festivities, as Christmas Lords, Lords of Misrule, kc. Le Lord, is exceedingly common in H.R.

Lower, Mark A (1860) Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom. London: J.R. Smith. Public Domain.