Contents [hide]

Given History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Given History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
Scotland
Ireland

Early Origins of the Given family

The surname Given was first found in Lanarkshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Lannraig) a former county in the central Strathclyde region of Scotland, now divided into the Council Areas of North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, and the City of Glasgow.

One of the earliest records of the family was Thomas Given, who witnessed a charter of "vnum rete super matricem aquam de Thei" by David de Haya to the monks of Cupre in 1214. 1

Early History of the Given family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Given research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1214, 1630 and 1655 are included under the topic Early Given History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Given Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Given, Givens, MacGiven, MacGivern and others.

Early Notables of the Given family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

James Given

Given Ranking

In the United States, the name Given is the 8,572^nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Given family to Ireland

Some of the Given family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Given migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Given Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

David Given, who landed in New England in 1719 3

Given Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Given, who arrived in New York in 1801 3
Margaret Given, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811 3
James Given, who landed in New York, NY in 1812 3
Daniel Given, who arrived in New York in 1814 3
Samuel Given, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Given Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

William James Given, who arrived in Alabama in 1915 3
Harry Given, who landed in Alabama in 1918 3

Given migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Given Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. George Given, (McDougall, Alexander), Scottish convict who was convicted in Stirling, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Cornwall" on 28th February 1851, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4

Given migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Given Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

R. Given, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Three Bells" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 13th July 1858 5
William Given, aged 39, a farm labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oxford" in 1874
Mary Given, aged 38, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oxford" in 1874
Sarah Given, aged 8, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oxford" in 1874
William Alexander Given, aged 6, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oxford" in 1874
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Given (post 1700) +

Thelma Mary Given Verdi (1896-1977), American violinist and child musical prodigy
Josiah Given (1828-1908), American jurist, Justice of the Iowa Supreme Court from March 12, 1889 to December 31, 1901
Séamus John James "Shay" Given (b. 1976), Irish footballer
Brigadier Thomas Frederick Given (1894-1952), British Civil Affairs Officer British Administration Somalia (1946-1952) 6
Edward Given, British Diplomat

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cornwall
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, October 5) Thomas Given. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Given/Thomas_Frederick/Great_Britain.html