| ![Show Contents]() Peffer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England The name Peffer was brought to England in the wave of migration that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Peffer family lived in Berkshire. The family name, however, is of other geographical derivations, referring to any of several locations in Normandy called Beauvoir. The name is composed of the Old French roots beu, which means fair or lovely, and voir, which means to see, and indicates the bearer's residence in "a place with a fine view." 1 2 Early Origins of the Peffer familyThe surname Peffer was first found in Yorkshire where Ralph de Belueeir was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1170. Later, John de Beauveir was listed in the Assize Rolls for 1204 and William Bever, de Beuver in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1207-1208. 3 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included the following: (Prior) de Beuver (Nottinghamshire), or Beauver (Leicestershire); John de Beauver, Yorkshire; and Thurstan de Beauver, Yorkshire. 4 Another early roll notes: John de Beauver, Yorkshire, Henry III-Edward I: Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I. 5 Early History of the Peffer familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Peffer research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Peffer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Peffer Spelling VariationsSpelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Peffer have been found, including Beaver, Beavor, Beavers, Beavors, Beavoirs, Beevers and many more. Early Notables of the Peffer familyMore information is included under the topic Early Peffer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
 Peffer migration to the United States | + |
For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Peffer were among those contributors:
Peffer Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Miggel Peffer, who landed in New York in 1709 6
- Bernhart Peffer, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1732 6
- Augustus Peffer, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1748 6
Peffer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Lawrence Peffer, who arrived in Minnesota in 1850 6
| Contemporary Notables of the name Peffer (post 1700) | + |
- William Alfred Peffer (1831-1912), American politician, Prohibition Candidate for Governor of Kansas, 1898 7
- C. G. Peffer, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for U.S. Representative from Michigan 3rd District, 1942 7
- The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
- Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
- 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)
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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Peffer migration to the United States 
