Reavis History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Reavis finds its origins with the ancient Anglo-Saxons of England. It was given to one who worked as a local representative of a lord, a reeve, sheriff, steward or bailiff. 1 2 The surname Reavis was originally derived from the Old English (ge)refa which referred to a representative. 3 The name is "an official appointed by the lord of the manor to supervise his tenants' work." 4

Early Origins of the Reavis family

The surname Reavis was first found in Leicestershire where Walter and James le Reve were listed in 1220. John atte Reuese was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327. The plural form of the name which is actually most common today dates back to 1332 when Richard del Reves was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Lancashire in 1332. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Sampson le Reve, Suffolk; and John le Reve, Cambridgeshire. 5

In Somerset, William le Reve, John le Reveson, and William le Reveson were listed there 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III.) 6

Early History of the Reavis family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Reavis research. Another 124 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1585, 1594, 1608, 1611, 1618, 1638, 1647, 1658, 1660, 1662, 1667, 1672, 1673, 1678, 1686, 1726, 1729, 1737, 1818, 1861, 1865 and 1900 are included under the topic Early Reavis History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Reavis Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Reavis has been recorded under many different variations, including Reeve, Reve, Reave, Reaves, Reeves and others.

Early Notables of the Reavis family

Distinguished members of the family include Edmund Reeve (1585-1647), English Justice of the Common Pleas, son of Christopher Reeve of Felthorpe, Norfolk; Edmund Reeve (died 1660), English divine, vicar of Hayes-cum-Norwood, Middlesex; Thomas Reeve (1594-1672), English Royalist divine, born at Langley, Norfolk, son of Thomas Reeve, a husbandman; John Reeve (1608-1658), an English plebeian prophet, believed the voice of God had instructed him to found a Third Commission in...
Another 69 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Reavis Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Reavis Ranking

In the United States, the name Reavis is the 5,146^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 7

Migration of the Reavis family to Ireland

Some of the Reavis family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 196 words (14 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 Reavis family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Reavis or a variant listed above: Francis Reeve who settled in Virginia in 1635; Thomas Reeve settled in St. Christopher in 1635; John Reeve settled in New Jersey in 1664; John Reeve was banished to Barbados in 1685.

Contemporary Notables of the name Reavis (post 1700) +

Waylon Reavis (b. 1978), American vocalist for the alternative metal and industrial metal band Mushroomhead
James Addison Reavis (1843-1914), nicknamed the Baron of Arizona, an American forger and fraudster
Isham Reavis (1836-1914), American jurist, Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of Arizona Territory (1869-1872)
David Craig Reavis (b. 1950), American NFL offensive lineman from 1974 through 1983
Charles Frank Reavis (1870-1932), American politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Nebraska (1915-1922)
W. H. Reavis, American politician, Member of North Carolina State House of Representatives from Granville County, 1870-72 8
Jim Reavis, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Arkansas, 2008 8
J. Ogden Reavis, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1932 8
Clarrise Haberfelde Reavis (1898-1989), American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1932 8
Charles G. Reavis (1892-1964), American Republican politician, Member of North Carolina State Senate, 1953-54, 1959 8
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Reavis 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: Animum rege
Motto Translation: Rule thy mind.

Citations +

Dixon, Bernard Homer, Surnames. London: John Wilson and son, 1857. Print
Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. 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)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html