Show ContentsTavenier History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Tavenier is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is a name for a person who kept a tavern or public house. 1

"A family of this name was long seated at Elmham in Norfolk, where Ralph Le Taverner is mentioned in 1272, and only died out in 1682, leaving younger branches to flourish in Essex, Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire. John Taverner, we are told, distinguished himself at Agincourt." 2

Early Origins of the Tavenier family

The surname Tavenier was first found in Yorkshire where William le Tauerner, Tauernier was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1175 and 1177. Later, William le Tavenerner was found in Warwickshire in 1268. 3

Up in Scotland, one of the first records found was "Henry le Taverner, a crossbowman, one of the English garrison of Linlithgow Castle in 1305." 4

Early History of the Tavenier family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tavenier research. Another 252 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1305, 1361, 1397, 1402, 1406, 1407, 1417, 1490, 1505, 1545, 1572, 1575, 1584, 1638, 1680, 1690, 1706, 1736, 1739, 1759 and 1768 are included under the topic Early Tavenier History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tavenier Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Taverner, Tabenor, Tabiner, Tavernor, Taviner, Tavenor and many more.

Early Notables of the Tavenier family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was William Taverner (fl. 1397-1407), of Leominster, an English politician, Member of Parliamnet for Leominster in 1397, 1402, 1406 and 1407; William Taverner (fl. 1417), an English politician, Member of the Parliament for Lyme Regis in 1417; and John Taverner (1490-1545), English composer and organist, generally regarded as the most important English composer of his era. Richard Taverner (1505-1575), was...
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tavenier Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Tavenier family to Ireland

Some of the Tavenier family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Tavenier migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Tavenier or a variant listed above were:

Tavenier Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Mrs. Tavenier, aged 31, who immigrated to the United States, in 1910
  • Clement Tavenier, aged 10, who immigrated to the United States from Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1914
  • Robert Tavenier, aged 27, who landed in America, in 1920
  • Egbert Tavenier, aged 29, who settled in America, in 1921


  1. Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
  2. Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. 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)


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