Kelvin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The vast movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of England of 1066 brought the Kelvin family name to the British Isles. Kelvin is a name for a person who tended cattle. 1

"Calvert is a characteristic Yorkshire name, and is at present best represented in the Richmond district, but still survives in York. The Calverts, of Danby Wiske, were an old North Riding family. Sir George Calvert, the first lord of Baltimore and the first planter in Maryland, was from this stock." 2

Early Origins of the Kelvin family

The surname Kelvin was first found in Yorkshire where one of the first records of the name was Warin le Calvehird. The name was originally spelt Calbert or Caubert, having been derived from Abbeville, France and no doubt some of the family came to England during the Conquest and seen by David de Calvert holding lands by knight service in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire in 1203. 3

But Yorkshire would be the stronghold of the name as seen by the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listing: Johanna Calfhird; Johannes Calvehyrd; and Magota Calvehird who were all listed in that shire. 1

Further to the north in Scotland, "Johannes Calfhyrd witnessed confirmation of Snadoun to the Abbey of Dryburgh, c. 1350. William Calwart, notary public in Arnbroath, 1467, and another William Cauart in the regality of Arnbroath is mentioned, 1535." 4

Early History of the Kelvin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kelvin research. Another 227 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1269, 1404, 1563, 1567, 1579, 1601, 1605, 1606, 1611, 1624, 1628, 1632, 1637, 1647, 1669, 1675, 1679, 1688, 1715, 1734 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Kelvin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kelvin Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Calvert, Calbert, Calverte, Calvart, Celvert, Kelvert, Kallvart, Kalvart, Callvert, Callbert, Cellvert, Calwert, Cavart, Cailvairt, Calwart and many more.

Early Notables of the Kelvin family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore, (1579-1632), 8th Proprietary Governor of Newfoundland, an English politician and colonizer, namesake of Baltimore, Maryland; Cecilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore (1605-1675), an English peer, the first Proprietor and Proprietary Governor of the Province of Maryland, and ninth Proprietary Governor of the Colony of Newfoundland...
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kelvin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kelvin family to Ireland

Some of the Kelvin family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 123 words (9 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 Kelvin family

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Kelvin or a variant listed above: George Calvert who settled in Maryland in 1634; along with Leonard Calvert; Edward Calvert settled in Virginia in 1653; Margaret Calvert settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1683.

Contemporary Notables of the name Kelvin (post 1700) +

William Kelvin Moxley (b. 1963), American Republican politician, Radio show host; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Tennessee, 2004 5
Kelvin Lamar Sholar (b. 1973), American pianist, bandleader, producer and composer
Kelvin Lee Beachum Jr. (b. 1989), American football offensive tackle for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL)
Kelvin Beachum, American producer, known for The NFL on CBS, Inspire Change-Kelvin Beachum (2021) and Hahn, Humpty & Canty (2017)
Kelvin T Kempfer, American Associate Professor of Computer & Information Systems at Central Oregon Community College
Kelvin Hoefler (b. 1994), Brazilian professional street skateboarder. He won the silver medal in the inaugural Olympic men's street skateboarding event at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo
Kelvin Powrie, Australian research scientist, eponym of the Kelvin Powrie Conservation Park, formerly the Kelvin Powrie National Parks Reserve in South Australia
Kelvin Kight (b. 1982), American former football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for 4 seasons (2004-2007)
Kelvin Scarborough (1964-2020), American basketball player who played college basketball at the University of New Mexico from 1983 to 1987
Dr. Kelvin John McCracken B.E.M., British recipient of the British Empire Medal on 8th June 2018, for voluntary service to the community in Ballynahinch, Northern Ireland

The Kelvin 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: Fatti masghii parole femine
Motto Translation: Deeds are masculine, words feminine.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
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)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 20) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html