Blevyn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Wales

Etymology of Blevyn

What does the name Blevyn mean?

From the Celtic land of Wales came the name of Blevyn. This name initially evolved from the Welsh personal name Blethyn.

Early Origins of the Blevyn family

The surname Blevyn was first found in Denbighshire (Welsh: Sir Ddinbych), a historic county in Northeast Wales created by the Laws in Wales Act 1536, where Meredith Ap Blethyn was Prince of North Wales in the 11th century. William the Conqueror seized Prince Meridith's castle at Oswestry in Shropshire after 1066 but he retained his Welsh estates. 1 2

"At the Survey we see that King William was Lord of this manor (Mileham), but soon after Alan, son of Flaald, obtained it by the gilt of William the Conqueror; also the castle of Oswaldstrey in Shropshire, which belonged to Meredith ap Blethyn, a Welshman or Briton." 3

Dafydd ap Bleddyn (died 1346), also known as David ap Blethin, was the Welsh Catholic Bishop of St. Asaph in Wales from 1315 to 1346.

Early History of the Blevyn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blevyn research. Another 137 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1366, 1391, 1524, 1579, 1590, 1601, 1627, 1652 and 1669 are included under the topic Early Blevyn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blevyn Spelling Variations

Although there are not an extremely large number Welsh surnames, there are an inordinately large number of spelling variations of those surnames. This variety of spellings began almost immediately after the acceptance of surnames within Welsh society. As time progressed, these old Brythonic names were eventually were recorded in English. This process was problematic in that many of the highly inflected sounds of the native language of Wales could not be properly captured in English. Some families, however, did decide to modify their own names to indicate a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even a patriotic affiliation. The name Blevyn has seen various spelling variations: Blevin, Blevyn, Ap Blethyn, Ap Plethyn, Plethen, Blethin, Blethen, Blevins and many more.

Early Notables of the Blevyn family

William Blethyn, (d.1590), Bishop of Llandaff in 1579. He was born in Wales, and educated at Oxford, at either New Inn Hall or Broadgates Hall (now Pembroke College.) "He died in October 1590, leaving three...
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Blevyn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Blevyn family

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many people from Wales joined the general migration to North America in search of land, work, and freedom. These immigrants greatly contributed to the rapid development of the new nations of Canada and the United States. They also added a rich and lasting cultural heritage to their newly adopted societies. Investigation of immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Blevyn: G. Blethen, who arrived in San Francisco in 1851.

Sources +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Page, William (ed), A History of the County of Norfolk. London: Victoria County History, 1906. Print