Beever History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The vast movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of England of 1066 brought the Beever family name to the British Isles. They 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 Beever family

The surname Beever 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 Beever family

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

Beever 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 Beaver, Beavor, Beavers, Beavors, Beavoirs, Beevers and many more.

Early Notables of the Beever family

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

Migration of the Beever family

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 Beever or a variant listed above were: Matthew Beaver, who arrived in Virginia in 1638; John Beaver, who settled in New England in 1699; Bridget Beavers, who came to Annapolis Maryland in 1730.

Contemporary Notables of the name Beever (post 1700) +

W. George Beever, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1916 6
Julian Beever, English chalk artist, known for his three dimensional works, known as the "Pavement Picasso"

Citations +

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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html