PAVEY
The surname Pavey is of English origin and is recorded in the British Isles from the early 13th century. Its earliest known form, Robert Paui, appears in the Assise Rolls of Yorkshire in 1219, where the name is listed by a witness in the reign of King Henry Ili (the Frenchman).
English and French sources attribute the name to the Old French word pave, meaning “paved” or “pavement”. The surname is therefore an occupational designation for someone who worked as a paver or road builder. An alternate derivation, also recorded in French, is the word pavie, meaning “peach”. This suggests that, in some families, the name may have identified a peach gardener or seller, or a dweller near a peach orchard, although the occupational meaning linked to paving is the more widely attested explanation.
Variations of the surname have arisen over time, including Pavy, Pavie, Pavis, Pavitt, Pavett, Pavee, Paveey, Paveeke and many others. The diminutive form Pavlov – a “son of” or “little Pav” – sometimes appears in medieval documents. These variants reflect the fluid orthography of the Middle Ages and the howling of “Pavey” into local dialects and neighbouring languages.
In its earliest documentary appearances the name achieved a modest degree of popularity across England. For example, Richard Paveye is recorded as a witness in the 1251 court lists known as the Feet of Fines in Warwickshire. Later, in 1579, George Pavey married Elizabeth Hayle at St Margarets, Westminster. In 1605, Nycholas Pavey was christened at All Hallows, London Wall, and in 1639, Elizabeth Pavitt married Henry Pinchard at the same parish. By the mid-17th century, Mary Pavett married Samuel Cotton at St Peters church, Pauls Wharf, London. These entries confirm that the name was widely propagated in urban and rural settings alike.
The heraldic identity associated with the surname is described by the blazon of a silver fesse crenelles, between three gold eagles displayed, on a black field. The crest depicts a black lion rampant guardant. Coats of arms such as this were typically granted to families who had established a reputation and standing in their local communities.
In contemporary Britain the surname remains uncommon. According to the Office for National Statistics it ranks as the 2,806th most common surname in England and Wales, and it is most prevalent in Wales, particularly Flintshire, where it appears among the top 400 surnames. The name is also found throughout the Commonwealth, with substantive populations in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. Genealogical research is required to determine the precise lineage of any given bearers, as the surname has a complex history of occupational and locational derivatives.
Typical given names associated with the Pavey surname
Male
- Andrew
- Brian
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Martin
- Michael
- Richard
- Stephen
Female
- Angela
- Caroline
- Deborah
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Karen
- Linda
- Margaret
- Nicola
- Ruth
- Samantha
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Pavey in...
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There are approximately 2,288 people named Pavey in the UK. That makes it roughly the 3,768th most common surname in Britain. Around 35 in a million people in Britain are named Pavey.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Pavey
- Jo Pavey - Long-distance runner
- Alfie Pavey - Football player
- Stanley Pavey - Cinematographer (1913 to 1984)
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.