Dever History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Dever arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Dever family lived in Essex, but the family can trace their roots much farther back. They were originally from Ver, near Bayeux, Normandy where it was from the local form of this place-name, de Ver. Their surname literally translates as from Ver. 1
"No prouder name than De Vere has graced the annals of our English baronage; none has been borne by a longer succession of Earls; none has been more magnificently extolled, or more eloquently lamented. Its very sound is aristocratic, and carries with it the memory of its 567 years of nobility." 2
Early Origins of the Dever family
The surname Dever was first found in Essex where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. In the Domesday Book, 3
Aubrey (Albericus) de Vere (died c. 1112) was a tenant-in-chief in England of William the Conqueror in 1086 and progenitor of the Earls of Oxford. He was one of the great landowners of England and held his castle from the King at Hedingham in Essex. He also held Kensington a suburb of London. 4
The first Earl of Oxford was Aubrey de Vere, (c. 1115-1194.) His son Robert de Vere (c. 1165-1221), 3rd Earl of Oxford was hereditary Master Chamberlain of England and was one of the guarantors of Magna Carta. This line of earls continued until Aubrey de Vere, 20th Earl of Oxford (1627-1703.) Lavenham, Suffolk, became the home of the family of the Earls of Oxford.
"The church was rebuilt in the reign of Henry VI., partly by the De Veres, earls of Oxford, who resided here, and partly by the family of Spring, wealthy clothiers. The entrance is by a porch, supposed to have been erected by John de Vere (1442-1513), the fourteenth earl of Oxford, and much enriched; over the arch is a finely-sculptured double niche, and on each side of the niche are three escutcheons, each bearing quartered coats of arms of the De Vere family." 5
Early History of the Dever family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dever research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1212, 1338, 1385, 1400, 1408, 1417, 1462, 1482, 1499, 1516, 1526, 1540, 1550, 1562, 1575, 1593, 1604, 1625, 1627, 1632 and 1703 are included under the topic Early Dever History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Dever 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 DeVere, DeVera, Dever, Devere, Vere, Ver, Vaire and many more.
Early Notables of the Dever family
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Robert de Vere, Earl of Oxford, who was made Marquess of Dublin in 1385 by King Richard II; Aubrey de Vere, 10th Earl of Oxford (c. 1338-1400); Richard de Vere, 11th Earl of Oxford (1385?-1417); John de Vere, 12th Earl of Oxford (1408-1462), he was convicted of high treason and beheaded on Tower Hill on 26 February 1462; John de Vere, 14th Earl of Oxford (1499-1526), an English peer and landowner...
Another 78 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dever Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Dever Ranking
In the United States, the name Dever is the 5,752nd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 6
Migration of the Dever family to Ireland
Some of the Dever family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Dever migration to the United States +
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 Dever or a variant listed above were:
Dever Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Grace Dever, who landed in Maryland in 1658 7
- Richard Dever, who arrived in Maryland in 1658 7
Dever Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Bridget Dever, aged 55, who landed in Delaware in 1803 7
- Edward Dever, who landed in Connecticut in 1811 7
- Edward Dever who settled in New London Conn. in 1811 with his family
- Cornelius, Daniel, Denis, Edward, Hugh, James, John, Neil, Samuel, Thomas, and William Dever all, who settled in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1865
Dever migration to New Zealand +
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:
Dever Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Elizabeth Dever, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "New Era" in 1855
Contemporary Notables of the name Dever (post 1700) +
- Kaitlyn Dever (b. 1996), American child actress, known for her roles in An American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong
- Barbara Dever (b. 1951), American mezzo-soprano who has appeared with Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo and James Levine
- William G. Dever, American archaeologist
- William Emmett Dever (1862-1929), Democratic mayor of Chicago, Illinois, U.S. from 1923 to 1927
- William Emmett Dever (1862-1929), American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1908 (alternate), 1924, 1928; Mayor of Chicago, Illinois, 1923-27 8
- Ross Allen Dever, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from West Virginia, 1952 8
- Robert M. Dever, American politician, Mayor of Woburn, Massachusetts, 1999-2000 8
- Paul Andrew Dever (1903-1958), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Massachusetts State House of Representatives, 1929-34; Massachusetts State Attorney General, 1935-41 8
- Owen J. Dever, American Democratic Party politician, Manufacturer; Member of New York State Assembly from Queens County 2nd District, 1922-25; Resigned 1925 8
- Justin Dever, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from North Dakota, 2008 8
- ... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
The Dever 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: Vero nihil verius
Motto Translation: Nothing truer than truth.
Citations +
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
- Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- "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)
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html