Show ContentsBevan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Welsh name Bevan is a patronymic surname created from the Welsh personal name Evan. The surname Bevan 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 Bevan family

The surname Bevan 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 Bevan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bevan 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 Bevan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bevan Spelling Variations

Welsh surnames are relatively few in number, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. There are many factors that explain the preponderance of Welsh variants, but the earliest is found during the Middle Ages when Welsh surnames came into use. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, which often resulted in a single person's name being inconsistently recorded over his lifetime. The transliteration of Welsh names into English also accounts for many of the spelling variations: the unique Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh had many sounds the English language was incapable of accurately reproducing. It was also common for members of a same surname to change their names slightly, in order to signify a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations. For all of these reasons, the many spelling variations of particular Welsh names are very important. The surname Bevan has occasionally been spelled Bevan, Beavan, Beevan, Beaven, Beven, Bevin, Bevins, Bevans, Beavans and many more.

Early Notables of the Bevan 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...

Bevan Ranking

In the United States, the name Bevan is the 8,967th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [6] However, in the United Kingdom, the name Bevan is ranked the 528th most popular surname with an estimated 12,514 people with that name. [7]


United States Bevan migration to the United States +

The Welsh migration to North America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries contributed greatly to its rapid development. These migrants were in search of land, work, and freedom. Those Welsh families that survived the long ocean journey were critical to the development of new industries and factories, and to the quick settlement of land. They also added to an ever-growing rich cultural heritage. A search of the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Bevan:

Bevan Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Arthur Bevan who settled in Connecticut in 1620
  • Bartholomew Bevan, who settled in Virginia in 1634
  • Grace Bevan, who settled in New England 1654
  • Lewis Bevan, who landed in America in 1654 [8]
  • Thomas Bevan, who arrived in Maryland in 1663
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Bevan Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • William Bevan, who arrived in America in 1764 [8]
Bevan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • William Bevan, who landed in Connecticut in 1812 [8]
  • Edward Bevan, who landed in New York, NY in 1833 [8]
  • James Bevan, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1852 [8]
  • Sarah Bevan, aged 35, who arrived in New York in 1864 [8]
  • Susannah Bevan, who arrived in New York in 1864 [8]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Bevan migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Bevan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Bevan, British Convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Batavia" in October 1817, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [9]
  • Mr. John Bevan, English convict who was convicted in Bristol, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Baring" in December 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [10]
  • Mr. Thomas Bevan, British Convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 25th June 1838, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [11]
  • Mr. Philip Bevan, English convict who was convicted in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Emerald Isle" on 25th June 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [12]
  • Henry Bevan, aged 22, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Trafalgar" [13]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Bevan Settlers in Australia in the 20th Century
  • Miss Amy Bevan, (b. 1891), aged 18, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Rippingham Grange" arriving in Queensland, Australia on 21st October 1909 [14]
  • Miss Doris Bevan, (b. 1898), aged 11, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Rippingham Grange" arriving in Queensland, Australia on 22nd October 1909 [14]
  • Miss Elsie Bevan, (b. 1896), aged 13, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Rippingham Grange" arriving in Queensland, Australia on 23rd October 1909 [14]
  • Mrs. Fanny Bevan, (b. 1867), aged 42, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Rippingham Grange" arriving in Queensland, Australia on 24th October 1909 [14]
  • Miss Nora Bevan, (b. 1902), aged 7, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Rippingham Grange" arriving in Queensland, Australia on 25th October 1909 [14]

New Zealand Bevan migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Bevan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Edward Bevan, who landed in Ohau, New Zealand in 1840
  • Thomas Bevan, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Lady Nugent
  • George Bevan, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1841 aboard the ship Lady Nugent
  • Thomas Bevan, aged 29, a rope maker, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Lady Nugent" in 1841
  • George Bevan, aged 17, a labourer, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Lady Nugent" in 1841
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Bevan (post 1700) +

  • Bridget Bevan (1698-1779), née Vaughan, also known as Madam Bevan, Welsh philanthropist, chief supporter of Griffith Jones and his system of circulating schools
  • Aneurin Bevan (1897-1960), Welsh politician, Minister of Health (1945–1951), considered the chief architect of the National Health Service
  • James Bevan (1856-1938), Welsh rugby union captain
  • Stewart John Llewellyn Bevan (1948-2022), English actor, best known for his roles in Brannigan (1975), The Ghoul (1975), House of Mortal Sin (1976), Ivanhoe (1982), Chromophobia (2005) and The Scouting Book for Boys (2009)
  • Brian Bevan (1924-1991), Australian rugby player, known by the nickname of "Wing Wizard", inducted into both the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame and British Rugby League Hall of Fame
  • Michael Bevan (b. 1970), Australian former cricketer who played from 1989 to 2005
  • Paul Bevan (b. 1984), Australian footballer with the Sydney Swans of the Australian Football League (AFL)
  • CBE Timothy John "Tim" Bevan CBE (b. 1957), New Zealand film producer, co-chairman of the production company Working Title Films
  • Andrew Gilroy "David" Bevan (1928-1996), English politician, Member of Parliament for Birmingham Yardley (1979–1992)
  • Bev Bevan (b. 1944), English Rock and Roll drummer, one of the original members of The Move and Electric Light Orchestra (ELO)
  • ... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Empress of Ireland
  • Mr. William G. Bevan (1888-1914), English Third Class Passenger from Liverpool, England, United Kingdom who survived the sinking on the Empress of Ireland [15]
HMAS Sydney II
  • Mr. Hanbury Victor Bevan (1916-1941), Australian Able Seaman from Victoria Park, Western Australia, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking [16]
HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. Cecil Bevan, British Marine, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking [17]
RMS Lusitania
  • Mr. Jack Bevan, American 3rd Class passenger from Bellaire, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking [18]
Senghenydd colliery
  • Mr. James Bevan (b. 1881), Welsh coal miner from Senghenydd, Caerphilly, Wales who was working at the Senghenydd colliery when there was an explosion on the 14th October 1913; he died


The Bevan 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. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  7. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  8. 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)
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/batavia
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 19th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel
  12. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emily
  13. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The TRAFALGAR 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Trafalgar.htm
  14. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_queensland.pdf
  15. Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 16) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
  16. HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp
  17. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
  18. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/


Houseofnames.com on Facebook