Blaver

This interesting and unusual surname with variant spellings Blavier, Blev(i)er, Blavir, Blavor, Bliver etc., recorded in European and English church registers from the mid 17th Century, is believed to be a patronymic form of the Norman-French occupational name "laveur", washer, the initial "b" being a shortening of the Celtic prefix "ab", son of, especially common in Brittany. On June 18th 1686 Henry Blavier and Gerarde Culvillier were married in Mazerny, Ardennes, France and on June 17th 1692 Jean, son of Servais Blavir, was christened in Embourg, Liege, Belgium. Isaac Bliver, an infant, was christened in St. Martin in the Fields, WEstminster, London on May 31st 1697, and on January 5th 1725 the marriage of Frederick Blyver to Elizabeth Webb took place in St. Anne Soho, Westminster. Anna, daughter of Johann and Margaret Blaver, was christened in the Rhineland, Germany on November 1st 1742. A Coat of Arms granted to the Blavier family of Liege depicts a red lion rampant on a silver shield, itself divided horizontally by three green bands. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Mathieu Blavier, (christening), which was dated August 7th 1638, Floreffe, Namur, Belgium, during the reign of King Charles 1, of England, known as "The Martyr", 1625 - 1649. 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.