Show ContentsCalver History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the bearers of the Calver family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in the village of Calver, which is in Derbyshire, England. The name descends from Calver which was listed in the Domesday Book as Caluore. [1]

Early Origins of the Calver family

The surname Calver was first found in Derbyshire at Calver, a township, in the parish and union of Bakewell, hundred of High Peak. [2]

Early History of the Calver family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Calver research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1620 and 1649 are included under the topic Early Calver History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Calver Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Calver include Calver, Callver, Calvar, Carver and others.

Early Notables of the Calver family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

  • Edward Calver (fl. 1649), an English poet and Puritan...
  • of Wilbie, in the county of Suffolk.' It is said that he was a relation of Bernard Calver, or Calvert, of Andover, who went from Southwark to Calais on 17 July 1620, and back again the same day...


United States Calver migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Calver or a variant listed above:

Calver Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Tho Calver, who arrived in Virginia in 1662 [3]
Calver Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Jean Calver, who arrived in Virginia in 1714 [3]
  • Ralph Calver, who landed in Virginia in 1714 [3]
  • Jean Calver who settled in Virginia in 1714 with his wife and five children
  • James Calver, who landed in America in 1799 [3]
Calver Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • James Calver, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1817
  • Andrew Calver, who settled in Philadelphia in 1874


  1. Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. 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)


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