TREVENA
Trevena is a locational surname of Cornish origin, generally considered to denote an individual who lived near or was associated with an island settlement in Cornwall. The name derives from the Cornish word tre, meaning “homestead” or “settlement,” and the personal name Enys, which translates as “island.” Consequently the surname Trevena signifies a person connected with an island settlement.
The surname is recorded under a variety of spellings, including Trevan, Treven, Trevena, Trevain, Trevance, Trevane, Trevenes, Treveine, Trevven, Trevens, Trevains, and possibly others. Such orthographic variation is typical of Cornish surnames of medieval origins.
The earliest surviving reference is the spelling Treavon, recorded in the Cornish rolls for the year 1302. This appears to refer to the village of Trevone, situated near Padstow, whose name is generally interpreted as “the farm by the water,” or a similar meaning, derived from the ancient Cornish compound tre avon. From this place-name the surname evolved, indicating those who departed from that village to settle elsewhere.
In Cornish society, and in the surrounding Celtic and Gaelic cultures of Ireland, Wales, parts of Scotland and Brittany, locational surnames such as Trevena are relatively common; they contrast with the patronymic or clan-based names that are more typical in other regions.
Early examples of the surname appearing in surviving church records illustrate its use in the 16th and 18th centuries. In 1559 a Alson Trevance was recorded in Bodmin; in 1747 an Elizabeth Treven was christened at Helston; in 1756 a James Trevons acted as a witness in St Dunstans, the East, Stepney, London; and in 1856 an Eliza Trevain entered into matrimony with John Barber at Bolventor, Cornwall.
These documentary references confirm the long-standing presence of the surname Trevena within Cornwall and the broader United Kingdom, displaying the enduring nature of Cornish locational surnames over many centuries.
Typical given names associated with the Trevena surname
Male
- Andrew
- Barry
- Christopher
- Colin
- David
- James
- John
- Kenneth
- Michael
- Nigel
- Paul
- Philip
- William
Female
- Caroline
- Deborah
- Elizabeth
- Jennifer
- Karen
- Mary
- Sandra
- Shirley
- Susan
- Suzanne
Similar and related surnames
- Darven
- Darvin
- Derivan
- Derraven
- Dervan
- Dervin
- Dervine
- Dorfan
- Dorovan
- Draffan
- Draffen
- Draffin
- Draven
- Drevin
- Drevon
- Driffin
- Driven
- Drovin
- Durvan
- Durvin
- Tarven
- Tarvin
- Tervin
- Trafani
- Travaini
- Traven
- Travena
- Travener
- Trevain
- Trevains
- Trevan
- Trevana
- Treveal
- Trevean
- Treven
- Trevenar
- Trevend
- Trevenen
- Trevener
- Trevenin
- Trevenna
- Trevennen
- Trevennor
- Trevenon
- Trevin
- Trevino
- Trevon
- Trifan
- Triffen
- Trifina
- Trifon
- Trivigno
- Trivin
- Trivino
- Trofin
- Trufin
- Tryfon
- Tryphona
- Turvin
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Trevena in...
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There are approximately 532 people named Trevena in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around eight in a million people in Britain are named Trevena.
