Beavor History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Beavor

What does the name Beavor mean?

Beavor is one of the many new names that came to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Beavor family lived in Berkshire. The family name, however, is of other geographical derivations, referring to any of several locations in Normandy called Beauvoir. The name is composed of the Old French roots beu, which means fair or lovely, and voir, which means to see, and indicates the bearer's residence in "a place with a fine view." 1 2

Early Origins of the Beavor family

The surname Beavor was first found in Yorkshire where Ralph de Belueeir was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1170. Later, John de Beauveir was listed in the Assize Rolls for 1204 and William Bever, de Beuver in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1207-1208. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included the following: (Prior) de Beuver (Nottinghamshire), or Beauver (Leicestershire); John de Beauver, Yorkshire; and Thurstan de Beauver, Yorkshire. 4

Another early roll notes: John de Beauver, Yorkshire, Henry III-Edward I: Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I. 5

Early History of the Beavor family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beavor research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Beavor History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beavor Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Beaver, Beavor, Beavers, Beavors, Beavoirs, Beevers and many more.

Early Notables of the Beavor family

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

Beavor migration to the United States +

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Beavor name or one of its variants:

Beavor Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Sarah Beavor, who arrived in Maryland in 1730

Contemporary Notables of the name Beavor (post 1700) +

Edmond Beavor (d. 1745), British captain in the Royal Navy, made a lieutenant on 2 March 1733-4, whilst serving in the West Indies 6
Arthur Beavor Wynne (1837-1906), Anglo-Irish geologist who worked in Geological Survey of India

Sources +

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)
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. 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)
Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 14 June. 2019