Show ContentsEvory History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The origins of the name Evory are from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the given name Averary. For example, the first recorded instance of the name is Rogerus filius Averary. His name means Rogerus son of Averary. Over time, the name changed until it achieved its modern form.

One distinguished source notes: "This is a name which may claim its origin with nearly equal probability from several distinct sources, which I shall briefly enumerate. I. Aviarim, a keeper of the birds. The Forest Charter (s. 14,) enacts that freemen may have in their woods "avyries of sparhawkes, falcons, eagles, and herons." II. A very, the place where forage for the king's horses was kept; either from the Latin avena, Anglo-Norman haver, oats, or from aver, a northern provincialism for a working horse. III. Alberic, a German personal name, Latinized Albericus, and softened in Norman times to Aubrey. " 1

Early Origins of the Evory family

The surname Evory was first found in the county of Northumberland where they held a family seat from very ancient times. Rogerus filius Averary resided in the year 1166, and held manors and estates. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had two entries of the family with very early spellings: Hugh filius Auveray, Nottinghamshire; and Ralph Averey, Oxfordshire. 3

One branch of the family was found in Egginton, Derbyshire from ancient times. "The church [of Egginton], an ancient structure with a nave, chancel, aisles, and a neat low tower, contains several monuments to the Every family, and has some remains of stained glass." 4

Further down in the parish of Lansallos, Cornwall, another branch of the family was found. "The manor of Tregavithick was purchased of the Avery family in 1751, by the Rev. Joshua Howell, father of the Rev. J. F. Howell, one of the canons residentiary of Exeter, the present proprietor." 5 There is no mention of how long the Avery family held the manor.

Early History of the Evory family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Evory research. Another 111 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1275, 1526, 1548, 1588, 1596, 1620, 1643, 1653, 1654, 1664, 1679, 1690, 1696, 1700, 1766, 1775, 1794, 1799, 1800, 1804, 1808 and 1866 are included under the topic Early Evory History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Evory Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Evory family name include Avery, Averie, Avary, Every, MacAvera and others.

Early Notables of the Evory family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir Richard Avery; Samuel Avery (died 1664) was an English merchant and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1654; John Every (c 1643-1679), an English landowner and politician from Dorset who sat in the House of Commons in 1679; and James Avery (b. 1620-1700), Cornish immigrant to America to become an American colonial landowner, legislator, and a military commander in King Philip's War.Henry Every, also Avery or Avary, (c. 1653-after 1696), sometimes given as John Avery...
Another 87 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Evory Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Evory family to Ireland

Some of the Evory family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Evory migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Evory surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Evory Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Evory, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 6


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  5. Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
  6. 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)


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