The Anglo-Saxon name Dreves comes from when its first bearer worked as a person who drove a herd of livestock such as cattle or sheep from one place to another; such a person was called a drover. The surname Dreves is derived from the Old English word draf, which means drove or herd.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dreves research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dreves History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Dreves Spelling Variations
Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Dreves include Drover, Drovere, Droves, Drove and others.
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Early Notables of the Dreves family
More information is included under the topic Early Dreves Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Dreves family
Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Dreves or a variant listed above: Thomas Drove settled in Virginia in 1651. In Newfoundland, William Drover settled in Upper Island Cove in 1763; Thomas Drover settled in Harbour Grace in 1822.
England
