The name Drive is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name was taken on by someone who worked as a person who drove a herd of livestock such as cattle or sheep from one place to another; such a person was called a drover. The surname Drive is derived from the Old English word draf, which means drove or herd.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Drive research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Drive History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Drive Spelling Variations
Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Drive include Drover, Drovere, Droves, Drove and others.
Early Notables of the Drive family
More information is included under the topic Early Drive Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Drive family
A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: Thomas Drove settled in Virginia in 1651. In Newfoundland, William Drover settled in Upper Island Cove in 1763; Thomas Drover settled in Harbour Grace in 1822.
England
