Show ContentsVives History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Vives is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Vives family lived in Wiltshire, at the manor Viveash.

Early Origins of the Vives family

The surname Vives was first found in Wiltshire where they were Lords of the manor Viveash from early times, after the Norman Conquest in 1066. They were believed to be of Norman origin.

Early History of the Vives family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Vives research. Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Vives History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Vives 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 Vivash, Viveash, Vivish, Fiveash and others.

Early Notables of the Vives family

More information is included under the topic Early Vives Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Vives Ranking

In France, the name Vives is the 2,970th most popular surname with an estimated 2,000 - 2,500 people with that name. [1]


United States Vives migration to the United States +

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 Vives or a variant listed above:

Vives Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Salvador De Vives, aged 36, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1820 [2]
  • Bautista Vives, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1823 [2]
  • Jose Vives, aged 27, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1831 [2]
  • Luis Vives, aged 20, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1831 [2]
  • Eugenio Vives, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1860 [2]

Contemporary Notables of the name Vives (post 1700) +

  • Alfonso Vergara Vives, American doctor, writer and politician
  • Manuel Benedito Vives, Spanish painter
  • Juan Luis Vives (1492-1540), Spanish philosopher


  1. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  2. 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)


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