Alvan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Norman Conquest of England of 1066 added many new elements to the already vibrant culture. Among these were thousands of new names. The Alvan name is derived from the Old English personal names Alfwin, and Elwin, as well a collection of other names containing the elements oelf, which means elf, and wine, which means friend.

Etherlwine, Aethelwine or Ailwin (died 922), was a Saxon ealdorman (royal official) of East Anglia, fourth and youngest son of the ealdorman Aethelstan, called the Half-king. 1

Early Origins of the Alvan family

The surname Alvan was first found in Devon where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Alwinetone, later called Alwington. In the Domesday Book Survey of 1086 A.D. this village containing 120 sheep and houses was held by Hamelin from the Count of Mortain, from which the Alwins are conjecturally descended.

One of the first records of the family was Henry Fitz Ailwyn, Lord Mayor of London (1189-1211.)

Early History of the Alvan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Alvan research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1130, 1175, 1499 and 1564 are included under the topic Early Alvan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Alvan Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Alwin, Alwyn, Elwyn, Elwyn, Elvin, Elvins, Elvyn, Alvin, Allwin, Allwyn, Ellwyn, Ellwin and many more.

Early Notables of the Alvan family

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

Migration of the Alvan family

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Alvan or a variant listed above: John Alvin who landed in America in 1698; Jacob Alwin landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1741; William Elvyn landed in St. Christopher in 1635; John and William Elvins landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1853 and 1857.

Contemporary Notables of the name Alvan (post 1700) +

R. Alvan Beisel, American politician, Mayor of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, 1933-35 2
James Alvan Macauley (1872-1952), American president of Packard Motor Company from 1916 until 1939
William Alvan Grimes, American politician, Justice of New Hampshire State Supreme Court, 1966-79; Chief Justice of New Hampshire State Supreme Court, 1979-81 3
Alvan Cullom (1797-1877), American politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee (1843-1847)
Alvan Henry Lafargue Sr., (1883-1962), American physician and politician, Mayor of Sulphur, Louisiana
Major-General Alvan Cleveland Kincaid (1892-1968), American Commanding General 12th Air Force (1948-1949) 4
Lieutenant-General Alvan Cullon Gillem Jr. (1888-1973), American Commanding General 3rd Army (1947-1950) 5
Alvan Tufts Fuller (1878-1958), American Republican politician, Member of Massachusetts State House of Representatives, 1915; Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts, 1921-25; Governor of Massachusetts, 1925-29 6
Alvan Kidder (1801-1871), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Massachusetts State House of Representatives, 1835 7
Alvan Flanders (1825-1884), American Republican politician, Member of California State Assembly 5th District, 1861-62; Delegate to U.S. Congress from Washington Territory, 1867-69; Governor of Washington Territory, 1869-70 8

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, April 2) Alvan Kincaid. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Kincaid/Alvan_Cleveland/USA.html
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, March 5) Alvan Gillem. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Gillem/Alvan_Cullon_Jr./USA.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html