Avant History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Wales
Ireland

The surname Avant is a patronymic surname created from the Welsh personal name Lefan, or Evan, which is a cognate of the personal name John. 1 2

Early Origins of the Avant family

The surname Avant was first found in Herefordshire.

"Exceedingly numerous in North and South Wales and in the adjacent English counties of Shropshire and Monmouth. Thence it has spread, but in rapidly diminishing numbers to the midland counties and to the south - west of England. It is absent or singularly rare in the northern counties, a line from the Humber to the Mersey sharply defining its northward extension. Not one of the coast counties, from Norfolk round to the borders of Devon, is represented in my list." 3

Early records of the family are scarce, but we did find Howell ap Yevan in the Rolls of Parliament and David ap Evan in the Calendar of Proceedings in Chancery, temp. Elizabeth I. 4

Later, John Evens was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1568 and John Evans was a Freeman of York in 1679. Jaraes Hevens was found in Suffolk in 1674. 5

Early History of the Avant family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Avant research. Another 126 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1050, 1080, 1607, 1630, 1632, 1645, 1660, 1679, 1680, 1693, 1702, 1715, 1720, 1723, 1734, 1749, 1778, 1808, 1811, 1817, 1821, 1849 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Avant History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Avant Spelling Variations

There are relatively few surnames native to Wales, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. Early variations of Welsh surnames can be explained by the fact that very few people in the early Middle Ages were literate. Priests and the few other literate people were responsible for recording names in official documents. And because most people could not specific how to properly record their names it was up to the individual recorder of that time to determine how a spoken name should be recorded. Variations due to the imprecise or improper recording of a name continued later in history when names originally composed in the Brythonic Celtic, language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, were transliterated into English. Welsh names that were documented in English often changed dramatically since the native language of Wales, which was highly inflected, did not copy well. Occasionally, however, spelling variations were carried out according to an individual's specific design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations could be indicated by minor variations. The spelling variations of the name Avant have included Evans, Evan, Evance, Evands, Evanson, Evason, Evens, Evenson and many more.

Early Notables of the Avant family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Rhirid Flaith a descendant in the Evans line about 1080; Arise Evans (or Rhys or Rice Evans) (1607-1660), a Welsh prophet and fanatic; Saint Philip Evans (1645-1679), Welsh priest, declared guilty of treason and executed, one of The Forty Martyrs of England and Wales; George Evans, D.D. (1630?-1702)...
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Avant Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Avant Ranking

In the United States, the name Avant is the 5,172^nd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Avant family to Ireland

Some of the Avant family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 110 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Avant migration to the United States +

Many Welsh families joined their Scottish and Irish neighbors during the late 1800s and early 1900s in seeking refuge in North America. Like the Irish and Scottish, many Welsh anxiously awaited the work, freedom, and opportunities that they believed lay in North America. Those who did journey over to the United States and what became known as Canada often realized those dreams, but only through much toil and perseverance. Whenever and however these Welsh immigrants arrived in North America, they were instrumental in the creation of the industry, commerce, and cultural heritage within those two developing nations. In the immigration and passenger lists a number of early immigrants bearing the name Avant were found:

Avant Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Asar W Avant, aged 53, who arrived in New York in 1897 aboard the ship "Obdam" from Rotterdam, Netherlands 7

Avant Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Rudolf Avant, aged 30, originally from Denmark, who arrived in New York in 1900 aboard the ship "Saint Paul" from Southampton, England 7
Ahsel Avant, aged 33, originally from Denmark, who arrived in New York in 1900 aboard the ship "Saint Paul" from Southampton, England 7
Thomas Avant, aged 31, who arrived in New York in 1908 aboard the ship "Havana" from Havana, Cuba 7
Mary Avant, aged 21, who arrived in New York in 1908 aboard the ship "Havana" from Havana, Cuba 7
Marinus Avant, aged 34, originally from Venebrosek, Belgium, who arrived in New York in 1914 aboard the ship "Finland" from Antwerp, Belgium 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Avant (post 1700) +

Clarence Alexander Avant (1931-2023), American music executive, businessman, and film producer, known as "The Black Godfather"
James Eugene Avant (b. 1963), American jockey, winner of more than 2,500 races
Nicole A. Avant (b. 1968), current U.S. Ambassador to The Bahamas
Jason Raye Avant (b. 1983), American NFL football wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles
Berry Avant Edenfield (1934-2015), United States District Judge, U.S. District Court Justice for the Southern District of Georgia (1978-2006), member of the Georgia State Senate (1965-1966)

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result