Show ContentsBeavin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Welsh name Beavin is a patronymic surname created from the Welsh personal name Evan. The surname Beavin was originally ab-Evan, or ap-Evan: the distinctive Welsh patronymic prefix "ab" or "ap," means "son of," but the prefix has been assimilated into the surname over the course of time. 1 2 3

"The normal type of Welsh name was a patronymic: Madog ap Jevan ap Jorwerth, ‘Madoc, son of Evan, son of Yorwerth’, a type which resulted ultimately in such names as Pumfrey, Benian, Bevan, etc." 4

Early Origins of the Beavin family

The surname Beavin was first found in Herefordshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times. One of the first record of the family was Howel ap-Evan who was listed in the Writs of Parliament c. 1300. The Calendarium Rotulorum Chartarum lists Eygneun ap Yevan, but no dates or location is provided. The plural form "Bevans is a double patronymic, part English, part Welsh, ab-Evan-s." 5

The Welsh "ap Evan" version survived for centuries as a Visitation in London in 1633 listed Rys ap Madoc ap Tudir ap Hoel ap Evan.

Early History of the Beavin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beavin research. Another 142 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1560, 1586, 1589, 1602, 1605, 1637, 1691, 1695, 1748, 1753, 1765 and 1923 are included under the topic Early Beavin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beavin Spelling Variations

The Welsh have an extremely large amount of spelling variations of their native surnames to their credit. It was 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 Beavin have included Bevan, Beavan, Beevan, Beaven, Beven, Bevin, Bevins, Bevans, Beavans and many more.

Early Notables of the Beavin family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Silvanus Bevan (1691-1765), Welsh apothecary, who founded the firm Allen & Hanburys; William Bevan, Pen-y-Coed; and Francis Bevans (died 1602) an English lawyer and Principal of Jesus College, Oxford from 1586 to 1602.Elway Bevin was an eminent theoretical and practical musician, the date of whose birth is unknown. He was of Welsh extraction, and received his musical education under Tallis. According to Wood (Ashmole MS. 8568, 106) he was...
Another 78 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Beavin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Beavin 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 Beavin were found:

Beavin Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Alice Beavin, who landed in Maryland in 1670 6
Beavin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • William Beavin, who landed in Ohio in 1860 6


The Beavin Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Semper virtuti constans
Motto Translation: Always constant to virtue.


  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  3. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  5. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  6. 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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