Show ContentsBevint History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Bevint

What does the name Bevint mean?

The name Bevint came to England with the ancestors of the Bevint family in the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Bevint family lived in Suffolk, where soon after the Norman Conquest, the village of Eston-Bavent was named after this illustrious family. Originally the name comes from the hamlet of Bavant (Bavent) in the Caen region of Normandy. 1

Early Origins of the Bevint family

The surname Bevint was first found in Suffolk, where the family gave its name to the village of Eston-Bavent after the Conquest. The name was originally associated with the hamlet of Bavent in the Caen region of France.

"Picot de Bavet is entered as holding one knight's fee in Norfolk of William de Albini. It was derived from Bavent, lying on the Dive, a little south of Varaville, in Normandy." 2

"Another Norfolk mesne-lord appears in the Liber Niger, Hubert de Baduent, an undertenant of the Honour of Rie. From him descended Adam de Bavent, who in the following century obtained through his wife a share of the estate of William de Wiston in Sussex, and was the father of another Adam, married to Alice de Scudamore. The latter had died before 1292, when the wardship of his son Roger was in dispute between the King and William de Say; and the contest was revived fourteen years afterwards by William's son Geoffrey; the young heir being then still under age. Roger de Bavent came from Sussex to the coronation of Edward II. " 2

Peter Babyon, Babyo, or Babion (fl. 1317-1366), was an English poet and divine in the reign of Edward II, by birth an Englishman. 3

Early History of the Bevint family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bevint research. Another 263 words (19 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1216, 1272, 1273, 1307, 1500, 1552, 1559, 1586, 1619 and 1626 are included under the topic Early Bevint History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bevint Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Bavent, Baven, Bavin, Bauvent, Bavvent, Bavant and many more.

Early Notables of the Bevint family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Walter de Bavent, a prominent 13th century landholder in Lincolnshire.William Bavand (fl. 1559), having been educated at Oxford, became a student in the Middle Temple, and published in 1559 'A work touching the...
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bevint Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bevint family

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Bevint or a variant listed above: Mary Bavin who arrived in Virginia in 1650 and Thomas Bavin in 1750.



  1. 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)
  2. Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 1 of 3
  3. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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