Show ContentsIevint History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Ievint surname comes from the Welsh personal name Evan. The original form of the name was Jevon, which then became Yevan and Ieuan before taking on its present form. Evan is a cognate of the personal name John.

Early Origins of the Ievint family

The surname Ievint was first found in Lincolnshire. Early feudal rolls provided the king of the time a method of cataloguing holdings for taxation, but today they provide a glimpse into the wide surname spellings over the years. Alexander le iouene was the first on record followed by John le Jofne who was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1200. Over 50 years later, Bartholomew le Joevene, le Juvene was found in Bedfordshire (1254-1269.) But before that, Robert le Joefne, le Jevene was listed in the Feet of Fines for Northumberland (1242-1255.) 1

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 include a listing for Heine filius Yevan in Salop (Shropshire.) "Jevons is an old name in Shropshire. Samuel Jevon was mayor of Shrewsbury in 1672 (Phillip's "Shrewsbury"). Jevans was the name of the bailiffs of Ludlow in 1538 and 1593." 2

Early History of the Ievint family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ievint research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1564, 1594, 1600, 1652, 1673, 1676, 1686, 1688, 1795, 1825, 1835, 1845, 1867 and 1882 are included under the topic Early Ievint History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ievint Spelling Variations

Although there are comparatively few Welsh surnames, they have a great many spelling variations. Variations of Welsh names began almost immediately after their acceptance within Welsh society. In the Middle Ages, it was up to priests and the few other people that recorded names in official documents to decide how to spell the names that they heard. Variations that occurred because of improper recording increased dramatically as the names were later transliterated into English. The Brythonic Celtic language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, featured many highly inflected sounds that could not be properly captured by the English language. Spelling variations were, however, also carried out according to an individual's design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations were all indicated by the particular variation of one's name. The spelling variations of the name Ievint have included Jeavon, Jeavons, Jevin, Jevan, Jevon, Jevons, Javin, Gevin, Gevinn, Ievan and many more.

Early Notables of the Ievint family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Thomas Jevon (1652-1688), actor and playwright. He was "a dancing-master, but worked his way on to the stage, and played leading low-comedy parts in London between 1673 and 1688. He appeared as Sneak in D'Urfey's 'Fond Husband' in 1676, and made a brilliant success as Harlequin in Mountford's farcical 'Dr. Faustus.' His only published play, and probably, as a contemporary manuscript note on one of the British Museum copies says, 'the only dramatick performance of Mr. Thos. Jevon,' was 'The Devil of a Wife; or a Comical Transformation,' which was licensed...
Another 161 words (12 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ievint Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Ievint family to Ireland

Some of the Ievint family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 51 words (4 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 Ievint family

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 Ievint: D. Gevinn, who sailed to New Orleans in 1820; Thomas Gevin, also to New Orleans, in 1823; and John Givin, who settled in Des Moines, Iowa by 1887.



  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.


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