| ![Show Contents]() Steeves History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Today's generation of the Steeves family bears a name that was brought to England by the wave of emigration that was started by the Norman Conquest of 1066. It comes from the ancient personal name Stephen, meaning crown, wreath, or garland. "This name was introduced into Britain by the Normans, with whom it was a favorite. Although found occasionally in England before 1066 its use then was due really to Christian tradition, Stephen (Stephanos) having been the first Christian martyr after Christ." 1 "This scripture name, like many others, was not introduced here until the Norman Conquest, after which we find it in the form of Fitz-Stephen. It occupies a large place among our surnames in the usual genitive forms of Stephens. Stevens, Steevens, Stephenson, Stevenson." 2 Early Origins of the Steeves familyThe surname Steeves was first found in Gloucestershire where they were descended from FitzStephen, a Breton knight who was conjecturally descended from Count Stephen of Brittany and accompanied William the Conqueror into England and fought at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Stephen FitzAirard was the captain of the "Mora," the ship which brought William the Conqueror over from Normandy. His son, Thomas FitzStephen (died 1120) was captain of the ill-fated White Ship (la Blanche-Nef), which sank off Barfleur, Normandy, on 25 November 1120. There was of course, King Stephen (c. 1097-1154,) King of England (1135-1154); he was the son of Stephen, Count of Blois and Chartres. Robert FitzStephen (d.1183) was a Welsh soldier of Norman descent and one of the leaders of the Norman invasion of Ireland. William Fitzstephen (fitz Stephen) (died c. 1191) was a cleric and administrator in the service of Thomas Becket. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Gilbert filius Stephani, Lincolnshire; Jordan filius Stephani, Essex; and Richard Stephen, Oxfordshire. Note the Stephani spelling was the Latin form of the name 3 The name is "mostly confined south of a line drawn west from the Wash, being represented in the counties north of that line by Stephenson and Stevenson. Its great home is in Cornwall, and there are secondary centres in Sussex, and in South Wales and in the adjoining English county of Hereford. The name is said to have been introduced after the Conquest. In Cornwall it is of very ancient date, as is evidenced by the family of Stephens of Tregeuna, who, according to Lower, are the descendants of the Stephyns of St. Ives in the. reign of Edward IV., their name being written then in the singular." 4 In Scotland, "Ada filius Stephani was burgess of Elgin in 1286 (REM., 221), Henricus Stephani had a charter of land in Ayr in 1409 (Friars Ayr, p. 43), William Stephani appears as rector of the church of Lestalric in 1418 (CMN., 28), John Stephani was burgess of Forfar in 1434 (RAA., II, 71) and witness in Brechin in 1435. Nichol fitz Steven, chaplain of Scotland, had license to take shipping at London or Dovorre at pleasure in 1372 " 1 Early History of the Steeves familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Steeves research. Another 211 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1589, 1603, 1628, 1629, 1645, 1647, 1653, 1656, 1659, 1660, 1667, 1669, 1679, 1683, 1718, 1805 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Steeves History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Steeves Spelling VariationsNorman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Stephens, Stevens, Stephen, Steven, Stiven and many more. Early Notables of the Steeves familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir John Stephens of Finglas; Nathaniel Stephens (1589-1660), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1628 and 1653, supporter of the Parliamentarian cause in the English Civil War; John Stephens (1603-1679), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons...
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Steeves Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Steeves RankingIn the United States, the name Steeves is the 12,942nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5 However, in Canada, the name Steeves is ranked the 790th most popular surname with an estimated 6,801 people with that name. 6  Migration of the Steeves family to Ireland
Some of the Steeves family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 68 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Steeves migration to the United States | + |
Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Steeves or a variant listed above:
Steeves Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- J. T. Steeves, aged 45, who immigrated to the United States from London, in 1892
- Geo. Steeves, aged 24, who landed in America, in 1893
Steeves Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Arthur Gilbert Steeves, aged 32, who immigrated to the United States from Liverpool, England, in 1904
- Jessie Steeves, aged 28, who settled in America, in 1908
- M. Steeves, who immigrated to the United States, in 1911
- Hulda Steeves, aged 23, who landed in America, in 1911
- Sutton Harvey Steeves, aged 21, who immigrated to the United States from London, England, in 1912
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Steeves migration to Canada | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Steeves Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century- Edgar F. Steeves, aged 40, who immigrated to Hillsborough, Canada, in 1912
| Contemporary Notables of the name Steeves (post 1700) | + |
- Burpee L. Steeves, American politician, Lieutenant Governor of Idaho (1905 to 1907)
- R. L. Steeves, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Oregon, 1916 7
- John Milton Steeves (1904-1998), American politician, U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, 1962-66 7
- Burpee L. Steeves, American Republican politician, Lieutenant Governor of Idaho, 1905-07 7
- B. L. Steeves, American politician, Mayor of Salem, Oregon, 1914 7
- William Steeves (1814-1873), Canadian merchant and politician, Father of Canadian Confederation
- Wayne Steeves (b. 1944), Canadian politician from New Brunswick
- Tim Steeves, Canadian three-time Gemini Award winning comedian and writer
- Gord Steeves, Canadian politician, city councilor from Winnipeg, Manitoba
- George Steeves (b. 1945), Canadian art photographer
- 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)
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 21) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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Steeves migration to the United States 
Steeves migration to Canada 
England
Ireland
Scotland
