Show ContentsDevarrey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Devarrey

What does the name Devarrey mean?

The ancestors of the Devarrey family brought their name to England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Herefordshire. This family was originally from Evreux, in Eure, Normandy, and it is from the local form of this place-name, D'Evreux, literally translating as "from Evreux." They claim descent from "the sovereign house of Normandy, deriving from Robert Count of Evereux, Archbishop of Rouen, son of Richard I of Normandy." 1 2

Early Origins of the Devarrey family

The surname Devarrey was first found in Herefordshire where Roger D'Evreux and his brother were listed in the Domesday Book of 1086. It was there that he married the sister of Walter de Lacy of Hereford. His widow, Helewysa gave lands to Gloucester Abbey and bore a son named Robert de Evrois. By 1165, there were two branches of the family in Hereford. 1

"Amongst the principal Normans who accompanied the Conqueror, and participated in the triumph and spoil of Hastings, was Walter de Evereux, of Rosmar, in Normandy, who obtained, with other considerable grants, the Lordships of Salisbury and Ambresbery, which (having devised his hereditary possessions and Earldoms to Walter, his eldest son,) he bequeathed to his younger son, Edward de Evereux, thenceforward designated of Salisbury. This potent noble, who possessed, at the General Survey, lordships in the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Surrey, Hants, Middlesex, Hereford, Buckingham, and Wilts, bore the royal Standard at the battle of Brennevill, and eminently distinguished himself. His only son, Walter de Evereux, founded the Monastery of Bradenstoke, wherein, in his old age, he became a canon." 3

Sir John Devereux second Lord Devereux (d. 1393), "belonged to a family which takes its name, according to Dugdale, from the town of Evreux in Normandy. It is found in English annals so early as 1140. Sir John Devereux was the son of Sir Walter DeveDevereux, and grandson of William, summoned as Baron in 1298. He was one of the English knights who apparently accompanied Du Guesclin into Spain in 1366 to dethrone Don Pedro." 4

It was in Wiltshire that the Deverells permanently took root, and there they lived close upon four hundred and fifty years, and gave their name to a nest of adjacent hamlets, Kingston-Deverill, Longbridge Deverill, Monckton Deverill, Brixton Deverill and Hill Deverill, clustered along the little river Wiley; to Mount-Deverill, and Hussey-Deverill." 5

The name Deverill is not uncommon to fiction. In particular, Edward Deverill was featured in Agatha Christie's Poirot story "Evil under the Sun," and the fictional Deverill Hall in Hampshire, in the village of King's Deverill which is prominently noted in The Mating Season, a novel by P. G. Wodehouse.

Early History of the Devarrey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Devarrey research. Another 58 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1315, 1339, 1362, 1367, 1372, 1374, 1376, 1383, 1411, 1431, 1449, 1451, 1459, 1463, 1485, 1489, 1501, 1550, 1558, 1566, 1578, 1591, 1601, 1614, 1617, 1621, 1624, 1646, 1658, 1660, 1676 and 1683 are included under the topic Early Devarrey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Devarrey 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 Devereaux, Deverall, Deverell, Deverill, Devreux and many more.

Early Notables of the Devarrey family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was William Devereux of Bodenham (c. 1315-1367), High Sheriff of Herefordshire (1362-1372); Sir Walter Devereux of Bodenham (c. 1339-1383), High Sheriff of Herefordshire (1374-1376); Walter Devereux (1411-1459) was Lord Chancellor of Ireland from 1449 to about 1451; Walter Devereux (son of Walter Devereux), jure uxoris 7th Baron Ferrers of Chartley (c.1431-1485), was a minor member of the English peerage, a loyal supporter of the Yorkist cause during the Wars of the Roses, was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field and his son, John Devereux, 8th Baron Ferrers of Chartley (1463-1501)...
Another 97 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Devarrey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Devarrey family to Ireland

Some of the Devarrey family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 44 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Devarrey 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 Devarrey or a variant listed above: Michael Devaraux, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1824; Nicholas Devaraus arrived in Philadelphia in 1855; Robert Deveaureoux arrived in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1820.



The Devarrey 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: Virtutis comes invidia
Motto Translation: Envy is the companion of virtue.


  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. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
  4. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  5. 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


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