Contents [hide]

Yewen History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Yewen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

The old Scottish-Dalriadan name Yewen is derived from the Gaelic personal name Eógann, which comes from the Latin name, Eugenius, which means well born. Yewen is a patronymic surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Many patronyms were formed when a son used his father's personal name as a surname, while others came from the personal names of famous religious and secular figures. The Yewen family was established in Scotland, well before the Norman Conquest of England, in 1066.

Euing appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 and may have been derived from Eawa's son. A Eawa was brother of Penda, king of Mercia. 1 However, another source claims the name was a "descendant of Ewen (warrior)." 2

And yet another source claims the name "goes back to the Greek eugenes (wellborn.)" 3

Early Origins of the Yewen family

The surname Yewen was first found in Argyllshire (Gaelic erra Ghaidheal), the region of western Scotland corresponding roughly with the ancient Kingdom of Dál Riata, in the Strathclyde region of Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Argyll and Bute, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D. The earliest recorded bearer of the name was Dovenaldus Ewain, documented in 1164.

Early History of the Yewen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Yewen research. Another 136 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1164, 1178, 1546, 1555, 1598, 1611, 1621, 1633, 1636, 1664, 1678, 1681, 1687, 1717 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Yewen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Yewen Spelling Variations

Translation in medieval times was an undeveloped science and was often carried out without due care. For this reason, many early Scottish names appeared radically altered when written in English. The spelling variations of Yewen include Ewing, Ewin, Ewen, Ewans, Ewens, Eugene, Ewan and many more.

Early Notables of the Yewen family

Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Yewen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Yewen family to Ireland

Some of the Yewen family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Yewen migration to the United States +

These settlers arrived in North America at a time when the east was burgeoning with prosperous colonies and the expanses of the west were just being opened up. The American War of Independence was also imminent. Some Scots stayed to fight for a new country, while others who remained loyal went north as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of them went on to rediscover their heritage in the 20th century through highland games and other patriotic Scottish events. The Yewen were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Yewen Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Edward Yewen, who landed in Virginia in 1703 4

Yewen Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Ann Yewen, aged 37, who immigrated to America, in 1909
Sylvia Yewen, aged 46, who landed in America from London, England, in 1923
Sylvia Yewen, aged 47, who immigrated to the United States from Stratford, England, in 1924

Yewen migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Yewen Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

John Yewen, aged 47, a labourer, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Apelles" in 1874
Maria Yewen, aged 42, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Apelles" in 1874
William Yewen, aged 8, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Apelles" in 1874
Walter Yewen, aged 6, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Apelles" in 1874
George Yewen, aged 14, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Apelles" in 1874
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Yewen (post 1700) +

Alfred Gregory Yewen (1867-1923), Australian agricultural writer, journalist and socialist

The Yewen 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: Audaciter
Motto Translation: Boldly

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)