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Show ContentsJarvis History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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Jarvis is a name that was brought to England by the ancestors of the Jarvis family when they emigrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Jarvis comes from the Norman personal name Gervase. The surname Gervais indicates that the bearer is a descendant of someone named Gervase. 1

Gervase of Canterbury (Gervasius Dorobornensis) (fl. 1188), was an English "chronicler, was born, apparently of a Kentish family, about 1141. As he had a brother Thomas in his monastery, who is conjectured to be identical with one Thomas of Maidstone, we have a possible clue to his birthplace; but the information is too imperfect to warrant more than an hypothesis. Gervase became a monk of Christ Church, Canterbury, on the first Saturday in Lent, 16 Feb. 1163." 2

Gervase of Chichester (fl. 1170), was an English commentator, one of the band of learned young men who gathered round Thomas, Archbishop of Canterbury and Gervase of Tilbury (fl. 1211), was author of the ‘Otia Imperialia,’ was no doubt a native of Tilbury in Essex, though he appears to have been brought up in Rome, and to have spent some years of his early life in Italy. 2

Early Origins of the Jarvis family

The surname Jarvis was first found in Cornwall. The Gervais surname also spelled Jarvis, Gervays and Gervis, was first found in Mobonnaiss and Vallee, in Brettagne, the ancient name for Brittany, and arrived in England with William, Duke of Normandy, in 1066. 3

The first records of the family were listed in their Latin form, as in John filius Gervacii, Cambridgeshire; William filius Gervasii, Huntingdonshire; and Stephen Gervcis, Cambridgeshire. All were listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. 4

Early History of the Jarvis family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jarvis research. Another 176 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1262, 1268, 1273, 1379, 1393, 1397, 1410, 1587, 1616, 1621, 1625, 1628, 1629, 1640, 1653, 1654, 1666, 1667, 1675, 1693, 1739, 1799 and 1804 are included under the topic Early Jarvis History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jarvis Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Jarvis were recorded, including Gervais, Gervays, Gervis, Jarvis, Jervis and others.

Early Notables of the Jarvis family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Gervais, (died 1268), an early English clergyman, Bishop of Carlisle in 1262 and Bishop of Winchester (1262-1268); Richard Gervays (died c.1410), of Canterbury, Kent, an English politician, a Member of...
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Jarvis Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jarvis World Ranking

In the United States, the name Jarvis is the 884th most popular surname with an estimated 34,818 people with that name. 5 However, in Canada, the name Jarvis is ranked the 801st most popular surname with an estimated 6,705 people with that name. 6 And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Jarvis is the 595th popular surname with an estimated 77 people with that name. 7 Australia ranks Jarvis as 446th with 8,430 people. 8 New Zealand ranks Jarvis as 567th with 1,249 people. 9 The United Kingdom ranks Jarvis as 296th with 20,421 people. 10

Ireland Migration of the Jarvis family to Ireland

Some of the Jarvis family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 229 words (16 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

United States Jarvis migration to the United States +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Jarvis arrived in North America very early:

Jarvis Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Jarvis who sailed from Isle of Wight arriving in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet
  • Francis Jarvis, who arrived in Virginia in 1636 11
  • Benjamin Jarvis, who landed in America in 1646 11
  • Sarah Jarvis, who landed in Virginia in 1653 11
  • Ed Jarvis, who landed in Virginia in 1666 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Jarvis Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Eliza Jarvis, who landed in Virginia in 1702 11
  • Arthur Jarvis, who arrived in Virginia in 1714 11
  • Mary Jarvis, who landed in Carolina in 1724 11
  • Freeman Jarvis, who landed in New England in 1736 11
  • Abraham Jarvis, who arrived in New England in 1764 11
Jarvis Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • George Jarvis, aged 16, who arrived in Kennebunk, Me in 1830 11
  • Oliver John Jarvis, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1838 11
  • David Jarvis, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1846 11
  • James J Jarvis, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 11
  • William Jarvis, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1860 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Jarvis migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Jarvis Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Col. Stephen Jarvis U.E. (b. 1756) born in Danbury, Connecitcut, USA from Danbury, Connecticut, USA who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick on December 13, 1783 he enlisted in 1775 serving in the Queen's Rangers, was a passenger aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on November 14, 1783 at East River, New York, resettled in Toronto, Ontario he died in 1840 married to Amelia Glover they had 6 children 12
  • Mrs. Margaret Jarvis U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway [Shelburne], Nova Scotia on December 13, 1783 was passenger number 385 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on November 14, 1783 at East River, New York 12
  • Master. John Jarvis U.E. (b. 1772), aged 11 who arrived at Port Roseway [Shelburne], Nova Scotia on December 13, 1783 was passenger number 593 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on November 14, 1783 at East River, New York 12
  • Esq. William Jarvis U.E. who settled in Home District [York County], Ontario c. 1784 cousin of Capt Stephen Jarvis 12
  • Mr. John Jarvis U.E. (b. 1752) born in Connecticut, USA who settled in Portland [North End], Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 he died in 1845 12
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Jarvis migration to Australia +

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

Jarvis Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Henry Jarvis, British Convict who was convicted in Leicestershire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 27th October 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1821 13
  • Mr. Samuel Jarvis1809 who was convicted in St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Camden" on 21st March 1831, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
  • Mr. William Jarvis, English convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Captain Cook" on 2nd May 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 15
  • Mr. Thomas Jarvis, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Aurora" on 3rd November 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 16
  • Mr. Thomas Jarvis, English convict who was convicted in London, England for life, transported aboard the "Emperor Alexander"on 6th April 1833, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 17
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Jarvis 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:

Jarvis Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Henry Jarvis, aged 20, a compositor, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "London" in 1840
  • Alexander Jarvis, aged 24, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Oriental" in 1840
  • Mr. Henry Mahon Jarvis, Cornish settler travelling from Launceston aboard the ship "Deborah" arriving in New Zealand in 1843 18
  • Henry Jarvis, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1844
  • Thomas Jarvis, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Winterthur" in 1866
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Jarvis (post 1700) +

  • Boyd H. Jarvis (1958-2018), American record producer, remixer and musician, best known co-writing "The Music Got Me";
  • Robert Winston "Cob" Jarvis (1932-2014), star basketball player at the University of Mississippi who went on to become the school's head basketball coach from 1969 to 1976
  • Francis Jarvis (1878-1933), American Olympian who won gold during the 1900 games
  • Captain David Henry Jarvis (1862-1911), American seaman who received the Congressional Gold Medal, eponym of the USCGC Jarvis (WHEC-725), a United States Coast Guard cutter
  • James C. Jarvis (1787-1800), American midshipman in the United States Navy killed at the age of thirteen, eponym of the USS Jarvis (DD-393), a Bagley-class destroyer and the USS Jarvis (DD-799), a Fletcher-class destroyer
  • Thomas Jordan Jarvis (1836-1915), American politician, 44th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina (1879 to 1885)
  • Kevin Thomas Jarvis (b. 1969), American former Major League Baseball pitcher
  • Gregory Bruce Jarvis (1944-1986), American civilian payload specialist who died aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger, eponym of the Jarvis lunar crater
  • Frank Washington Jarvis (1878-1933), American athlete, and the Olympic 100m champion of 1900
  • Anna Marie Jarvis (1864-1948), founder of the Mother's Day holiday in the United States
  • ... (Another 61 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Air New Zealand Flight 901
  • Mr. Nicholas Dunstan Jarvis (1936-1979), New Zealander passenger, from Glenfield, Auckland, New Zealand aboard the Air New Zealand Flight 901 for an Antarctic sightseeing flight when it flew into Mount Erebus; he died in the crash 19
HMAS Sydney II
  • Mr. William John Jarvis (1923-1941), Australian Stoker 2nd Class from Malvern, Victoria, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 20
HMS Dorsetshire
  • John Stewart Williamson Jarvis (d. 1945), British Sub Lieutenant aboard the HMS Dorsetshire when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking 21
HMS Hood
  • Mr. Leonard R Jarvis (b. 1922), English Able Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Wigston, Leicester, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 22
  • Mr. Arthur C Jarvis (b. 1905), English Able Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Northallerton, Yorkshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 22
RMS Titanic
  • Mr. William Jarvis (d. 1912), aged 37, English Fireman/Stoker from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 23
  • Mr. Denzil John Jarvis (d. 1912), aged 47, English Second Class passenger from Stoneygate, Leicestershire who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 23

Suggested Readings for the name Jarvis +

  • The Hemrick and Allied Families by Grace H. Jarvis.
  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  3. 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)
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  6. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  7. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  8. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  9. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  10. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  11. 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)
  12. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  13. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel
  14. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 2nd December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/camden
  15. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/captain-cook
  16. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/aurora
  17. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emperor-alexander
  18. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  19. Mount Erebus, Memorial, Roll of Remembrance (Retrieved 2018, February 21st). Retrieved from http://www.erebus.co.nz/memorialandawards/rollofremembrance.aspx
  20. HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp
  21. Force Z Survivors HMS Dorsetshire Crew List, (Retrieved 2018, February 13th), https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listdorsetshirecrew.html
  22. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
  23. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html
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