Evelyn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Evelyn is one of the names that was brought to England in the wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Evelyn family lived in Surrey. The name, however, derives from the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Ivelyn, in Calvados, Normandy. The Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae noted Roger Ivelin, Normandy 1198. 1

Early Origins of the Evelyn family

The surname Evelyn was first found in Surrey where "the family, said to have come originally from Evelyn in Normandy, had settled in Shropshire and afterwards in Middlesex. " 2

From this verifiable source, we found Burke in his Burke's Landed Gentry who claimed derives it from a place in Shropshire "now called Evelyn, but formerly written Avelyn and Ivelyn." (Burke) However, this claim has met with disagreement as "the name of that place was formerly Evelyth, which has never been that of the family of Evelyn. " 1

Early History of the Evelyn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Evelyn research. Another 114 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1579, 1591, 1601, 1620, 1626, 1628, 1631, 1633, 1640, 1648, 1655, 1660, 1664, 1666, 1671, 1677, 1685, 1699, 1702, 1706 and 1818 are included under the topic Early Evelyn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Evelyn Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Evelyn include Evelyn, Ivelyn, Aveling and others.

Early Notables of the Evelyn family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Sir John Evelyn (1591-1664), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1628 and 1660, reluctant supporter of the Parliamentary side in the English Civil War
Sir John Evelyn (1601-1685), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Wilton (1626), Ludgershall (1640-1648), and 1660 and Stockbridge in 1660
John Evelyn FRS (1620-1706), an English writer, gardener and diarist, best known for his Diary of John Evelyn, first published in 1818

Evelyn Ranking

In the United States, the name Evelyn is the 12,642^nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Evelyn migration to the United States +

In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Evelyns to arrive on North American shores:

Evelyn Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Robert Evelyn, who landed in Virginia in 1637 4
George Evelyn, who landed in Virginia in 1649 4
Mountjoy Evelyn, who arrived in Virginia in 1650 4

Evelyn Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Francis Evelyn, who settled in Philadelphia in 1874
Edward W Evelyn, who arrived in Mississippi in 1885 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Evelyn (post 1700) +

Sir John Evelyn (1758-1833), 4th Baronet, English peer
John Evelyn of Wotton (1743-1827), English cousin of Frederick Evelyn
Sir John Evelyn (1706-1767), 2nd Baronet, a British politician, Member of Parliament for Helston (1726-1741), Member of Parliament for Penryn (1741-1747), Member of Parliament for Helston (1747-1767)
Sir John Evelyn (1682-1763), 1st Baronet of Wotton, British politician, Fellow of the Royal Society in January 1723, only surviving son of John Evelyn the Younger
Rear Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd (1888-1957), American aviator, polar explorer, eponym of the Bryd Station, Antarctica, recipient of the Medal of Honor
Mary Evelyn Hitchcock (1849-1920), American author and explorer with the pen names, Mary Doyle and Mrs. Roswell D. Hitchcock
Angela Evelyn Bassett Vance (b. 1958), born Angela Evelyn Bassett, an American Academy Award nominee, Golden Globe Award winning, Primetime Emmy Award nominated actor and film director. Best known for her roles in Olympus Has Fallen (2013), Black Panther (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
Janet Evelyn Fookes DBE DL (b. 1936), Baroness Fookes, a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons from 1992 to 1997
Grace Evelyn Pickford (b. 1902), English-born, American biologist and endocrinologist
Muriel Evelyn Grossfeld (1940-2021), née Davis, an American gymnast who won a team gold medal at the 1963 Pan American Games

The Evelyn 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: Durete
Motto Translation: Hardness.

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, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)