| ![Show Contents]() Rivault History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of RivaultWhat does the name Rivault mean? The name Rivault has a long French heritage that first began in northwestern region of Brittany. The name is derived from when the family lived in Brittany. Early Origins of the Rivault familyThe surname Rivault was first found in Brittany. One of the first records of the family was Peter de Rivalx or Rivallis (died 1258), a favourite of Henry III. A Poitevin (born in Poitou, France) by birth, in 1204, he was granted various churches in Lincolnshire and by 1218, he appears as one of the king's chamberlains and a clerk in the wardrobe. In 1223, he was Chancellor of Poitou. "He was later granted the custody of many of the most important castles in England, the royal purveyorship at fairs, the chamberlainship of the Exchequer in Ireland." 1 Early History of the Rivault familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rivault research. Another 93 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1571, 1616, 1697, 1778 and 1808 are included under the topic Early Rivault History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Rivault Spelling VariationsChanges of spelling have occurred in most surnames. The earliest explanation is that during the early development of the French language, names were not yet fixed in spelling. Usually a person gave his version of his name, phonetically, to a scribe, a priest, or a recorder. This depended on accent, and local accents frequently changed the spelling of a name. Some variables were adopted by different branches of the family name. Hence, there are some spelling variations of the name Rivault, including Rivaud, Rivard, Rivault, Rivaude, Rivot, Du Rivau and many more. Early Notables of the Rivault familyMore information is included under the topic Early Rivault Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Rivault RankingFrance, the name Rivault is the 3,519th most popular surname with an estimated 2,000 - 2,500 people with that name. 2 Migration of the Rivault familyIn 1643, 109 years after the first landings by Cartier, there were only about 300 people in Quebec. Migration was slow. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the French Acadian presence in the Maritimes had reached 500. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The family name Rivault has made many distinguished contributions in France and New France to the world of science, culture, religion, and education. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Rivault were J.W. Rivarde who settled in New Orleans La. in 1820; I. W. Rivarde settled in Mississippi in 1820; H.L. Rivard settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1868..
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
- http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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