JERVIS
The surname Jervis is of English origin, but its roots reach back to the Old Germanic name Gervase, itself derived from the Latinised form Gervasius. The elements geri meaning “spear” and a suffix of uncertain origin together form a name that signified a warrior or a spearman, indicating that early bearers of the name were likely connected with martial pursuits.
After the Norman Conquest of 1066, the Norman French personal name Gervaise – a form of Gerald or Gerard – was introduced into England. The elements geri and wig mean “spear” and “battle” respectively, so that the name retained its martial connotations. The surname Jervis first appears in English records in the early 13th century, with early spellings such as Thomas Geruais of Norfolk (1230) and William Gerveys of Somerset (1270). A 1202 entry in the Pipe Rolls of Shropshire records the name John Geruas, showing the name was already in use by the reign of King John.
The surname exhibits a wide range of orthographic variants, reflecting regional pronunciations and the lack of fixed spelling in medieval documents. These include Jarvis, Jervois, Jervoise, Gervase, Gervis, Jervise, Giftis, Girvis, Jerves, Garvis, Gerviss, Gervisset, Jervius, Jervys, Jervice, Gerriss, Gerrissen, Gerris, Gerrison, Gerreson, Jarris, Jarvess, Jerth, Jerthill, Jerthis, Jerthiss, Jerthillis, Jarvie, Jarvies, Jarvees, Jarvace, Jarvish, Jervish, Jarvisse, Gerress, and several Irish, Scottish and Welsh variants.
A prominent bearer of the name was Admiral John Jervis (1735 – 1823), who was created Earl of St. Vincent in 1787. His naval victories, particularly at the Battle of Cape St. Vincent, cemented the Jervis name in the annals of British history.
In contemporary times the surname is most frequently found in the United Kingdom. The 2018 UK Census placed Jervis at rank 15,138 in popularity, a significant rise from 21,202 in 1881. The name is believed to have a strong association with Cheshire, a county in north‑west England, and is also recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 via the parish of St Wilfred's in the region. Internationally, the surname is less common but is present in the United States (rank 38,631 in 2020), Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and is also found in Ireland, Germany, France and other parts of the world.
Despite its long history, the surname Jervis is currently not recognised as having a heraldic coat of arms, a circumstance that suggests the name may have entered the hereditary surname system relatively recently and possibly retained its original martial connotation rather than developing a distinct family emblem.
Typical given names associated with the Jervis surname
Male
- Alan
- Andrew
- David
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Simon
- William
Female
- Christine
- Deborah
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Karen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Sharon
- Susan
- Suzanne
Similar and related surnames
- Gervase
- Gervais
- Jarvis
- Jarvais
- Gervis
- Gervie
- Gerves
- Jervise
- Gervacio
- Gervaise
- Gervas
- Gervasi
- Gervasio
- Jaravaza
- Jarvas
- Jarves
- Jarvess
- Jarvi
- Jarvice
- Jarvie
- Jarvies
- Jarvins
- Jarvise
- Jarviss
- Jarvist
- Jarvoice
- Jarvois
- Jerrvis
- Jervais
- Jervas
- Jerves
- Jervess
- Jervey
- Jervice
- Jervie
- Jervies
- Jervin
- Jervine
- Jerviss
- Jervois
- Jervoise
- Jervous
- Jorves
- Jorvis
- Jurvis
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Jervis in...
Braille
⠚⠑⠗⠧⠊⠎
Morse
.---..-....-.....
Semaphore
There are approximately 3,704 people named Jervis in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,504th most common surname in Britain. Around 57 in a million people in Britain are named Jervis.
Surname type: From given name or forename
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Jervis
- Jake Jervis - Football player
- John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent - Royal Navy admiral of the fleet (1735 to 1823)
- Daniel Jervis - Swimmer
- Billy Jervis - Football player
- Richie Jervis - Cricketer
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.