Trever History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Wales
Ireland

The Trever family name comes from the name of either of the Welsh settlements called Trevor in Denbigh and Anglesey. As such, the surname Trever belongs to the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Trever family

The surname Trever was first found in Herefordshire, where Tudor Trevor was Lord of Hereford, Wittington, and both Maelors, founder of the Tribe of the Marches. He was son of Ynyr Ap Cadforch, Lord of both Maelors in Powys, a Baron of Powys.

Trevor Hall is a large grade mansion standing in 85 acres (35 hectares) of parkland at Trevor, near Llangollen, Denbighshire, Wales. The estate has been in the family since medieval times and was at one time the home of Bishop John Trevor (died 1357.)

There was always a close relationship with people of Wales and Cornwall; so it is not surprising to find an early reference to the family there. "The manor of Trevear [in the parish of Gorran] was formerly the property, and the mansion the residence of a family of this name. Tonkin says, that the mansion of Sir Henry Trevear was standing so late as the year 1736. From this family it passed to the Scawens, and it is now the property of Thomas Graham, Esq." 1

Early History of the Trever family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Trever research. Another 96 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1346, 1357, 1410, 1563, 1596, 1618, 1620, 1626, 1630, 1637, 1641, 1642, 1644, 1658, 1669, 1670, 1672, 1673, 1693, 1695, 1706, 1717, 1730 and 1851 are included under the topic Early Trever History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Trever Spelling Variations

The Welsh have an extremely large amount of spelling variations of their native surnames to their credit. The earliest explanation for the preponderance of spelling variations is that when Welsh surnames were in Welsh and accordingly were difficult to translate into English. It was therefore up to the priest or the scribe taking the official records to determine how the spoken name was to be made literal. As time progressed, the old Brythonic names of Wales were recorded in English, which was especially problematic since the English language had extreme difficulty recording the highly inflected sounds of Cymraeg. Spelling variations were, however, also carried out according to an individual's design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations could be indicated by spelling variations of one's name. The spelling variations of the name Trever have included Trevor, Trefor and others.

Early Notables of the Trever family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was John Trevor (died 1357), Bishop of St Asaph in North Wales, (1346 to 1357); John Trevor (died 1410), or John Trevaur, Bishop of St. Asaph in Wales and later became nominal Bishop of St Andrews in Scotland; Sir John Trevor (1563-1630), MP and Surveyor of the Queen's Ships; Sir John Trevor (1596-1673), his son, MP from 1620, member of the Council of State during the Protectorate...
Another 75 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Trever Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Trever family to Ireland

Some of the Trever family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 132 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Trever migration to the United States +

During the latter half of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, the people of Wales journeyed to North America to find a new life. They made major contributions to the arts, industry and commerce of both Canada and the United States, and added a rich cultural heritage to their newly adopted societies. A look at the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Trever:

Trever Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Hatton Trever, who landed in Virginia in 1701 2

Trever Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Charles Trever, aged 25, who arrived in St Louis, Missouri in 1839 2
Mr. Frances Trever, aged 36, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1848 aboard the ship "Antoinette"
Mrs. Louise Trever, aged 24, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1848 aboard the ship "Antoinette"

Citations +

Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
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)