Beven

This interesting surname, of Welsh origin, with variant spellings Bevan, Bevin, Bevon, Beavan, Beaven and Beavon, is a patronymic from the given name Ifan, Evan, meaning John, itself coming from the Hebrew name Yochanan, "Jehovah has favoured (me with a son)", with the fused Welsh patronymic prefix ap, ab. The surname dates back to the late 13th Century, (see below). Early recordings include one Howel ap Evan (circa 1300) "Writs of Parliament", and John and Richard Bevand are contained in the "List of Freemen in Chester' (1747)". Church recordings include one Anne Beavan who married John Blighton in July 1586, at St. Christopher le Stocks, London, and Rachel Bevan who married Francis Casson on June 13th 1589, at St. Martin in the Fields, Westminster. One Richard Bevin, aged 60 yrs, a famine emigrant, sailed from Liverpool aboard the "Yorkshire" bound for New York on July 31st 1846. A Coat of Arms was granted to William Bevan of Pen-y-Coed, Carmarthen in 1695, and depicts on a blue shield a dove between three annulets gold, each enriched with a ruby proper. The Crest being a mount vert thereon an eagle rising. The Motto: Semper virtute constens, translates as "Always constant in virtue". The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Edenevet ap Lenan, witness, which was dated 1287, "The Assize Court Rolls of Cheshire", during the reign of King Edward 1, known as "The Hammer of the Scots", 1272 - 1307. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.