Peavy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Peavy comes from the ancient Norman culture that was established in Britain after the Conquest of 1066. It was a name for a friend, and is a somewhat nondescript form of affectionate address, somewhat like pal or mate in modern English. The name translates from the Old French root belfiz of the same meaning. The modern French meaning of the word as son in law was not in place until 1468.

Other sources claim that the name is a local surname from Beauvais in France. and there, we found that "Duke Richard II. in 1027, confirmed the gift of Ansgot de Belvai of land at Belvai to Fescamp Abbey. Fescamp (Fécamp) Abbey is a Benedictine abbey in Fécamp, Seine-Maritime, Upper Normandy, France. 1 2 Founded in 658 by Waningus, a Merovingian count, the abbey still stands today.

As to agree with this postulation, another source weighs in on the debate by simply stating "The town of Beauvais, in France, is however a more likely source for the surname." 3 This author continues "Sir Bevys of medieval romance seems to have no place in veritable history, though Heylin claims him as a real Earl of Southampton. The first instance of the surname that I can call to mind is in Sir John Bevis, or Befs, who took Richard, brother of King Henry III., prisoner in a windmill at the battle of Lewes, in 1264. " 3

Early Origins of the Peavy family

The surname Peavy was first found in Hampshire, where they were granted lands by King William after the Norman Conquest in 1066. They were descended from the Beauvais in Normandy, and appear on the honor roll of Battell Abbey, as accompanying Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Peavy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Peavy research. Another 36 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1254, 1693, 1715, 1718, 1731 and 1771 are included under the topic Early Peavy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Peavy Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Bevis, Bevys, Beavis, Beavys and others.

Early Notables of the Peavy family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Bevis of Hampshire; and John Bevis (1693-1771), an Welsh doctor and astronomer, best known for discovering the Crab Nebula in 1731. "Born 31 Oct. 1693...
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Peavy Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Peavy Ranking

In the United States, the name Peavy is the 7,877^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Peavy family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Peavy or a variant listed above were: Benjamin Bevis who settled in Maryland in 1663; David Bevis settled in New England in 1698; Elizabeth Bevis settled in Virginia in 1654; Carol Bevois (Bevvis) settled in New Netherlands in 1659. This family were registered as a distinguished family in the U.S.A..

Contemporary Notables of the name Peavy (post 1700) +

Angela "Annie" Marie Peavy (b. 1996), American dressage rider at the 2016 Summer Paralympics
Nathan Peavy (b. 1985), Puerto Rican-born, American professional basketball player
Jacob Edward "Jake" Peavy (b. 1981), American Cy Young Award winning Major League Baseball pitcher

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)
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/