Some researchers say that the proud and noble English surname of Bustard originated long before the Norman Conquest of 1066 A.D., in that there are records at Devon reflecting that they had held a family seat there. The ancient Anglo-Saxons are alleged to have originally bestowed this nickname-type surname upon someone who had the facial features of a buzzard.

The scientific binomial classification (Otis tarda) of the omnivorous Great Bustard, arguably the heaviest living flying animal, was coined in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus, but was referred to in writings by Pliny the Elder (c. 23 A.D.-August 25, 79 A.D.) as "avis tarda".