Peavey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Peavey reached England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Peavey family lived in Berkshire. The family name, however, is of other geographical derivations, referring to any of several locations in Normandy called Beauvoir. The name is composed of the Old French roots beu, which means fair or lovely, and voir, which means to see, and indicates the bearer's residence in "a place with a fine view." 1 2

Early Origins of the Peavey family

The surname Peavey was first found in Yorkshire where Ralph de Belueeir was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1170. Later, John de Beauveir was listed in the Assize Rolls for 1204 and William Bever, de Beuver in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1207-1208. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included the following: (Prior) de Beuver (Nottinghamshire), or Beauver (Leicestershire); John de Beauver, Yorkshire; and Thurstan de Beauver, Yorkshire. 4

Another early roll notes: John de Beauver, Yorkshire, Henry III-Edward I: Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I. 5

Early History of the Peavey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Peavey research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Peavey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Peavey Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Peavey family name include Beaver, Beavor, Beavers, Beavors, Beavoirs, Beevers and many more.

Early Notables of the Peavey family

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

Peavey Ranking

In the United States, the name Peavey is the 9,657^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Peavey family

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Peavey family to immigrate North America: Matthew Beaver, who arrived in Virginia in 1638; John Beaver, who settled in New England in 1699; Bridget Beavers, who came to Annapolis Maryland in 1730.

Contemporary Notables of the name Peavey (post 1700) +

John A. "Jack" Peavey (b. 1963), American former football player and head football coach at William Paterson University from 1997 to 1999
John Peavey (b. 1933), American rancher and Democratic politician
Hartley Peavey (b. 1941), American businessman who founded Peavey Electronics in 1965
Hubert H. Peavey (1881-1937), American politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin (1933-1935) and (1923-1933)
Mrs. F. Peavey Heffelfinger, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Minnesota, 1944 7

Historic Events for the Peavey family +

USS Arizona

Mr. William Howard Peavey, American Quartermaster Second Class from Iowa, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 8

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html