Bevins History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The Welsh name Bevins is a patronymic surname created from the Welsh personal name Evan. The surname Bevins was originally ab-Evan, or ap-Evan: the distinctive Welsh patronymic prefix "ab" or "ap," means "son of," but the prefix has been assimilated into the surname over the course of time. 1 2 3
"The normal type of Welsh name was a patronymic: Madog ap Jevan ap Jorwerth, ‘Madoc, son of Evan, son of Yorwerth’, a type which resulted ultimately in such names as Pumfrey, Benian, Bevan, etc." 4
Early Origins of the Bevins family
The surname Bevins was first found in Herefordshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times. One of the first record of the family was Howel ap-Evan who was listed in the Writs of Parliament c. 1300. The Calendarium Rotulorum Chartarum lists Eygneun ap Yevan, but no dates or location is provided. The plural form "Bevans is a double patronymic, part English, part Welsh, ab-Evan-s." 5
The Welsh "ap Evan" version survived for centuries as a Visitation in London in 1633 listed Rys ap Madoc ap Tudir ap Hoel ap Evan.
Early History of the Bevins family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bevins research. Another 142 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1560, 1586, 1589, 1602, 1605, 1637, 1691, 1695, 1748, 1753, 1765 and 1923 are included under the topic Early Bevins History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Bevins Spelling Variations
Compared to other ancient cultures found in the British Isles, the number of Welsh surnames are relatively few, but there are an inordinately large number of spelling variations. These spelling variations began almost as soon as surname usage became common. People could not specify how to spell their own names leaving the specific recording up to the individual scribe or priest. Those recorders would then spell the names as they heard them, causing many different variations. Later, many Welsh names were recorded in English. This transliteration process was extremely imprecise since the Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh used many sounds the English language was not accustomed to. Finally, some variations occurred by the individual's design: a branch loyalty within a family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations were indicated by spelling variations of one's name. The Bevins name over the years has been spelled Bevan, Beavan, Beevan, Beaven, Beven, Bevin, Bevins, Bevans, Beavans and many more.
Early Notables of the Bevins family
Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Silvanus Bevan (1691-1765), Welsh apothecary, who founded the firm Allen & Hanburys; William Bevan, Pen-y-Coed; and Francis Bevans (died 1602) an English lawyer and Principal of Jesus College, Oxford from 1586 to 1602.
Elway Bevin was an eminent theoretical and practical musician, the date of whose birth is unknown. He was of Welsh extraction, and received his musical education under Tallis. According to Wood (Ashmole MS. 8568, 106) he was...
Another 78 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bevins Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Bevins Ranking
In the United States, the name Bevins is the 4,758th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 6
Bevins migration to the United States +
The Welsh began to emigrate to North America in the late 1800s and early 1900s in search of land, work, and freedom. Those that arrived helped shape the industry, commerce, and the cultural heritage of both Canada and the United States. The records regarding immigration and passenger show a number of people bearing the name Bevins:
Bevins Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Henry Bevins, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1870 7
- William Bevins, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1870 7
- Cate Bevins, aged 26, who landed in America from London, in 1898
Bevins Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Mrs. A. H. Bevins, aged 50, who landed in America from London, in 1903
- Edwin Bevins, aged 26, who immigrated to the United States from England, in 1904
- Hubert Bevins, aged 25, who landed in America from Leicester, in 1904
- Agnes May Bevins, aged 15, who settled in America from Blackpool, in 1905
- Lewis E. Bevins, aged 31, who landed in America from Liverpool, in 1905
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Bevins migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Bevins Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
- Mr. James Bevins U.E. who settled in Ernestown, Lennox & Addington, Ontario c. 1783 8
Bevins migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Bevins Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Mr. John Bevins, British Convict who was convicted in Edinburgh, Scotland for 10 years, transported aboard the "Corona" on 13th October 1866, arriving in Western Australia, Australia 9
Contemporary Notables of the name Bevins (post 1700) +
- Christopher "Chris" Bevins (b. 1973), American voice actor and ADR director
- Anthony John "Tony" Bevins (1942-2001), English journalist, eponym of the Bevins Prize, a British award recognising outstanding investigative journalism
- Michael Bevins (b. 1977), field hockey goalkeeper from New Zealand
- Kerry Bevins, New Zealand politician, Leader of The Republic of New Zealand Party
- Stuart Roy Bevins (b. 1967), retired English cricketer
- John Reginald Bevins (1908-1996), British politician who served as a Liverpool Member of Parliament for fourteen years
- John Bevins Moisant (1868-1910), American aviator, known as the "King of Aviators," an American aviator, aeronautical engineer, flight instructor and businessman who was the first pilot to conduct passenger flights over a city (Paris), as well as across the English Channel, from Paris to London
- Andrew Bevins Culhane (1875-1957), American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1936, 1944 10
The Bevins Motto +
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Semper virtuti constans
Motto Translation: Always constant to virtue.
Citations +
- Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
- Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. 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)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/corona
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html