Contents [hide]

Heaven History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Heaven History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France
Wales
Ireland

The surname Heaven is a patronymic surname created from the Welsh personal name Lefan, or Evan, which is a cognate of the personal name John. 1 2

Early Origins of the Heaven family

The surname Heaven was first found in Herefordshire.

"Exceedingly numerous in North and South Wales and in the adjacent English counties of Shropshire and Monmouth. Thence it has spread, but in rapidly diminishing numbers to the midland counties and to the south - west of England. It is absent or singularly rare in the northern counties, a line from the Humber to the Mersey sharply defining its northward extension. Not one of the coast counties, from Norfolk round to the borders of Devon, is represented in my list." 3

Early records of the family are scarce, but we did find Howell ap Yevan in the Rolls of Parliament and David ap Evan in the Calendar of Proceedings in Chancery, temp. Elizabeth I. 4

Later, John Evens was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1568 and John Evans was a Freeman of York in 1679. Jaraes Hevens was found in Suffolk in 1674. 5

Early History of the Heaven family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Heaven research. Another 126 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1050, 1080, 1607, 1630, 1632, 1645, 1660, 1679, 1680, 1693, 1702, 1715, 1720, 1723, 1734, 1749, 1778, 1808, 1811, 1817, 1821, 1849 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Heaven History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Heaven Spelling Variations

Compared to other ancient cultures found in the British Isles, the number of Welsh surnames are relatively few, but there are an inordinately large number of spelling variations. These spelling variations began almost as soon as surname usage became common. People could not specify how to spell their own names leaving the specific recording up to the individual scribe or priest. Those recorders would then spell the names as they heard them, causing many different variations. Later, many Welsh names were recorded in English. This transliteration process was extremely imprecise since the Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh used many sounds the English language was not accustomed to. Finally, some variations occurred by the individual's design: a branch loyalty within a family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations were indicated by spelling variations of one's name. The Heaven name over the years has been spelled Evans, Evan, Evance, Evands, Evanson, Evason, Evens, Evenson and many more.

Early Notables of the Heaven family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Rhirid Flaith a descendant in the Evans line about 1080; Arise Evans (or Rhys or Rice Evans) (1607-1660), a Welsh prophet and fanatic; Saint Philip Evans (1645-1679), Welsh priest, declared guilty of treason and executed, one of The Forty Martyrs of England and Wales; George Evans, D.D. (1630?-1702)...
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Heaven Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Heaven family to Ireland

Some of the Heaven family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 110 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Heaven migration to the United States +

Many people from Wales joined the general migration to North America in the 19th and 20th centuries, searching for land, work, and freedom. Like the many other immigrants from the British Isles, they made a significant contribution to the development of Canada and the United States. The Welsh and their descendents added a rich cultural tradition to the newly developed towns, cities, and villages. An investigation of the immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Heaven:

Heaven Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Heaven, aged 45, who arrived in Missouri in 1844 6

Heaven migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Heaven Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Enoch Heaven, British convict who was convicted in Wiltshire, England for life, transported aboard the "England" on 6th June 1835, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
Harriet Heaven, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Navarino" in 1837 8

Heaven migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Heaven Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Henry Heaven, aged 30, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Apelles" in 1874
Julia A. Heaven, aged 30, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Apelles" in 1874
Julia E. Heaven, aged 6, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Apelles" in 1874
Albert Henry Heaven, aged 4, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Apelles" in 1874
William Heaven, aged 4 months, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Apelles" in 1874

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/england
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) NAVARINO 1837. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1837Navarino.htm