Coventon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Coventon is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived at Covington in Huntingdon. The name was a habitational name having derived from the Old English "Cofingtun" which meant "Cofa's settlement." 1 Covington dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was first listed as Covintune. 2

Early Origins of the Coventon family

The surname Coventon was first found in at Covington in Huntingdonshire (now part of Cambridgeshire.) There is also a Scottish branch that had an earliest record of the 12th century.

In fact, Covington and Thankeston is a parish in Lanarkshire that has an interesting origin. "Of these ancient parishes, which were united about the beginning of the 18th century, the former derives its name, anciently Colbanstoun, from its proprietor Colban, in the 12th century; and the latter, from a Flemish settler named Tankard or Thankard, who obtained a grant of lands here during the reign of Malcolm IV. " 3

Another source claims that Covinton (Covington) was probably derived from the Latin for "Villa Colbani."

Spelling changes were frequent as seen by Thomas de Colbainestun who witnessed a charter by William the Lion in Dumfriesshire c. 1187 and Thomas de Colbaynstun who witnessed the resignation of lands of Ingilbristoun in 1204. 4

Early History of the Coventon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Coventon research. Another 123 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1120, 1204, 1296 and 1304 are included under the topic Early Coventon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Coventon Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Coventon are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Coventon include: Covington, Colvaynston and others.

Early Notables of the Coventon family

More information is included under the topic Early Coventon Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Coventon migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Coventon or a variant listed above:

Coventon Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Nehemiah Coventon, who landed in Virginia in 1649 5
John Coventon, who arrived in Maryland in 1650 5
Joice Coventon, who arrived in Virginia in 1657 5

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
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)