Bevan

Background:  Bevan is a name of Welsh origin, derived from "ab-Evan" meaning "son of Evan".

The surname of Bevan has the associated arms recorded in Sir Bernard Burkes General Armory. Ulster King of Arms in 1884. The arms were granted in 1695 to William Bevan Esq., of Pen-y-Coed, County Carmathen, high sherif of that shire, and his brothers Theophilus Bevan and Thomas Bevan. The name was brought into England in the wake of the Norman Invasion of 1066 and anglicized from the Old French BEIVRE to Bevan. Most of the European surnames in countries such as England, Scotland and France were formed in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The process had started somewhat earlier and had continued in some places into the 19th century, but the norm is that in the tenth and eleventh centuries people did not have surnames, whereas by the fifteenth century most of the population had acquired a second name. The name is of two-fold origin, it was a baptismal name 'the son of Evan' an ancient Welsh font name. It also meant a wine-drinker, one who tasted wine for a living. Occupational surnames originally denoted the actual occupation followed by the individual. At what period they became hereditary is a difficult problem. Many of the occupation names were descriptive and could be varied.

In the Middle Ages, at least among the Christian population, people did not usually pursue specialized occupations exclusively to the extent that we do today, and they would, in fact, turn their hand to any form of work that needed to be done, particularly in a large house or mansion, or on farms and smallholdings. In early documents, surnames often refer to the actual holder of an office, whether the church or state.

Early records mention Edward Bevan who was documented in Wales in the year 1300, and a latter instance mentions Thomas Bevan who was the prebendary of St. David's in the year 1680. John Baynham and Margaret Bevan were married at St. George's Chapel, Mayfair, London in 1748. An eminent member of the name was Aneurin BEVAN (1897-1960) the Welsh Labour politician, born in Tredegar, Monmouthshire. He was one of 13 children of a miner, and began work in the pits at 13. Six years later he was chairman of a Miners' Lodge of more than 4,000 members. He was appointed minister of health in 1945, and in 1948 he introduced the revolutionary National Health Service. He became minister of Labour in 1951.

Name Variations:  Bevan, Bavan, Beavan, Bevin, Beven, Beivre.

References:
One or more of the following publications has been referenced for this article.
The General Armory; Sir Bernard Burke - 1842.
A Handbook of Mottoes; C.N. Elvin - 1860.
4crests.com: http://www.4crests.com/bevan-coat-of-arms.html

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