Povah History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The origins of the Povah surname date from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name originated with an early member who was a person with the characteristics of an owl. Often nicknames described strong traits or attributes that people wished to emulate in a specific animal. In the pre-Christian era, many pagan gods and demigods were believed to be a mixture of animals and humans, such as the Greek god Pan who was the god of flocks and herds and was represented as a man with the legs, horns and ears of a goat. In the Middle Ages, anthropomorphic ideas, which attributed human qualities and form to gods or animals, were held about the characters of other living creatures. They were based on the creature's habits. Moreover, these associations were reflected in folk-tales, mythology, and legends which portrayed animals behaving as humans.

Early Origins of the Povah family

The surname Povah was first found in Gloucestershire where the name Povey is a provincialism for an owl. 1

Early History of the Povah family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Povah research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1613, 1621, 1650, 1652, 1660, 1673, 1679, 1690, 1702, 1705, 1706 and 1743 are included under the topic Early Povah History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Povah Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Povah has been recorded under many different variations, including Povey, Povy and others.

Early Notables of the Povah family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Thomas Povey (1613-1705) FRS, London merchant and politician, active in colonial affairs from the 1650s, he was a member from 1660 of Charles II's Council for Foreign Plantations.Charles Povey (c. 1652-1743), was an English miscellaneous writer...
Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Povah Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Povah family to Ireland

Some of the Povah family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 56 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Povah family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Povah or a variant listed above: Anne Povey and her husband who settled in Barbados in 1697; James, John and William Povey arrived in Philadelphia between 1174 and 1852.

Contemporary Notables of the name Povah (post 1700) +

Phyllis Povah (1893-1975), American stage and film actress
Nigel Povah (b. 1952), British chess player, an International Master at over-the-board chess
A. Povah Ambrose, American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in Port Louis, 1884-97 2

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html