Family Names and What They Mean

Primitive personal names doubtless originated soon after the invention of spoken language, although the date of their first use is lost in the darkness of ages preceding recorded history. For thousands of years thereafter, first or given names were the only designations that men and women bore; and in the dawn of historic times, when the world was less crowded that it is today and every man knew his neighbor, one title of address was sufficient.

Only gradually, with the passing centuries and the increasing complexity of civilized society, did a need arise for more specific designations. While the roots of our system of family names may be traced back to early civilized times, actually the hereditary surname as we know it today dates from a time scarcely earlier than nine hundred years ago. A surname is a name added to a baptismal or Christian name for the purposes of making it more specific and of indicating family relationship or descent. Classified according to origin, most surnames fall into four general categories:

  1. those formed from the given name of the sire;
  2. those arising from bodily or personal characteristics;
  3. those derived from locality or place of residence;
  4. and  those derived from occupation.

It is easier to understand the story of the development of our institution of surnames if these classifications are borne in mind.

As early as biblical times certain distinguishing appellations were occasionally employed in addition to the given name, as, for instance, Joshua the son of Nun, Simon the son of Jonas, Judas of Galilee, and Simon the Zealot. In ancient Greece daughters were named after their fathers, as Chryseis, the daughter of Chryses; and sons' names were usually an enlarged form of the father's, as Hieronymus, son of Hiero.

The Romans, with the rise of their civilization met the need for hereditary designations by inventing a complex system whereby every patrician traced his descent by taking several names. None of them, however, exactly corresponded to surnames as we know them, for the "clan name", although hereditary, was given also to slaves and other dependents. This system proved to be but a temporary innovation; the overthrow of the Western Empire by barbarian invaders brought about its end and a reversion to the primitive custom of a single name.

The ancient Scandinavians and for the most part the Germans had only individual names, and there were no family names, strictly speaking among the Celts. But as family and tribal groups grew in size, individual names became inadequate and the need for supplementary appellations began to be felt. Among the first employed were such terms as "the Strong", "the Hardy", "the Stern", "the Dreadful-in-battle"; and the nations of northern Europe soon adopted the practice of adding the fathers name to the son's, Oscar son of Carnuth and Dermid son of Duthno.

True surnames, in the sense of hereditary designation, date in England from about the year 1000. Largely they were introduced from Normandy, although there are records of Saxon surnames prior to the Norman Conquest. Perhaps the oldest known surname in England is that of Hwita Hatte, a keeper of bees, whose daughter was Tate Hatte. During the reign of Edward the Confessor (1042-1066) there were Saxon tenants in Suffolk bearing such names as Suert Magno, Stigand Soror, Seward Rufus, and Lyric Hobbesune (Hobson); and the Doomsday record of 1085-1086, which exhibits some curious combinations of Saxon forenames with Norman family names, shows surnames in still more general use.

By the end of the twelfth century hereditary names had become common in England. But even by 1465 they were not universal. During the reign of Edward V a law was passed to compel certain Irish outlaws to adopt surnames: "They shall take unto them a Surname, either of some Town, or some Colour, as Blacke or Brown, or some Art or Science, as Smyth or Carpenter, or some Office, as Cooke or Butler." And as late as the beginning of the nineteenth century a similar decree compelled Jews in Germany and Austria to add a German surname to the single names which they had previously used.

As stated above, family names may be divided into four general classes according to their origin. One of the largest of these classes is that comprising surnames derived from the given name of the father. Such names were formed by means of an added prefix or suffix denoting either "son of" or a diminutive. English names terminating in son, ing, and kin are of this type, as are also the innumerable names prefixed with the Gaelic Mac, the Norman Fitz, the Welsh ap, and the Irish O'. Thus John's sons became Johnsons; William's sons, Williamsons or Wilsons; Richard's sons, Richardsons or Richardses (the final "s" of "Richards" becoming a contraction of "son"); Neill's sons, MacNeills; Herbert's sons, FitzHerberts; Thomas's sons, ap Thomases (ap has been dropped from many names of which it was formerly a part); and Reilly's sons, O'Reillys.

Another class of surnames, those arising from some bodily or personal characteristic of their first bearer, apparently grew out of what were in the first instance nicknames. Thus Peter the strong became Peter Strong, Roger of small stature became Roger Little or Roger Small, and black-haired William or blond Alfred became William Black or Alfred White. From among the many names of this type, only a few need be mentioned: Long, Short, Hardy, Wise, Good, Gladman, Lover, and Youngman.

A third class of family names, and perhaps the largest of all, is that comprising local surnames--names derived from and originally designating the place of residence of the bearer. Such names were popular in France at an early date and were introduced into England by the Normans, many of whom were known by the titles of their estates. The surnames adopted by the nobility were mainly of this type, being used with the particles de, de la, or del (meaning "of" or "of the"). The Saxon equivalent was the word atte ("at the"), employed in such names as John atte Brook, Edmund atte Lane, Godwin atte Brigg, and William atte Bourne. A vestige of this usage survives in the names Atwell, Atwood, and Atwater; in other cases the Norman de was substituted; and in still others, such as Wood, Briggs, and Lane, the particle was dropped.

The surnames of some of the Pilgrim Fathers illustrate place designations: for instance, Winthrop means "from the friendly village"; Endicott, "an end cottage"; Bradford, "at the broad ford"; and Standish, "a stony park". The suffixes "ford", "ham". "ley", and "ton", denoting locality, are of frequent occurrence in such names as Ashford, Bingham, Burley, and Norton.

While England enjoyed a period of comparative peace under Edward the Confessor, a fourth class of surnames arose--names derived from occupation. The earliest of these seem to have been official names, such as Bishop, Mayor, Fawcett (judge), Alderman, Reeve, Sheriff, Chamberlain, Chancellor, Chaplain, Deacon, Latimer (interpreter), Marshall, Sumner (summoner), and Parker (park-keeper). Trade and craft names, although of the same general type, were of somewhat later origin. Currier was a dresser of skins, Webster a weaver, Wainwright a wagonbuilder, and Baxter a baker. Such names as Smith, Taylor, Barber, Shepherd, Carter, Mason, and Miller are self-explanatory.

Many surnames of today which seem to defy classification or explanation are corruptions of ancient forms which have become disguised almost beyond recognition. Longfellow, for instance, was originally Longueville, Longshanks was Longchamps, Troublefield was Tuberville, Wrinch was Renshaw, Diggles was Douglas, and Snooks was Sevenoaks. Such corruptions of family names, resulting from ignorance of spelling, variations in pronunciation, or merely from the preference of the bearer, tend to baffle both the genealogist and the etymologist. Shakespeare's name is found in some twenty-seven different forms, and the majority of English and Anglo-American surnames have, in their history, appeared in four to a dozen or more variant spellings.

In America a greater variety of family names exists than anywhere else in the world. Surnames of every race and nation are represented. While the greater number are of English, Scotch, Irish, or Welsh origin, brought to this country by scions of families which had borne these names for generations prior to emigration, many others, from central and southern Europe and from the Slavic countries, where the use of surnames is generally a more recently established practice, present considerable difficulty to the student of etymology and family history. Those Americans who possess old and honored names--who trace the history of their surnames back to sturdy immigrant ancestors, or even beyond, across the seas, and into the dim mists of antiquity--may be rightfully proud of their heritage.

While the name, in its origin, may seem ingenious, humble, surprising, or matter-of-fact, its significance today lies not in a literal interpretation of its original meaning but in the many things that have happened to it since it first came into use. In the beginning it was only a word, a convenient label to distinguish one John from his neighbor John who lived across the field. But soon it established itself as a part of the bearer's individuality; and as it passed to his children, his children's children, and their children, it became the symbol not of one man but of a family and all that that family stood for. Handed down from generation to generation, it grew inseparably associated with the achievement, the tradition, and the prestige of the family.

Like the coat of arms--that vivid symbolization of the name which warrior ancestors bore in battle--the name itself, borne through every event of a man's life and through the lives of scores of his progenitors, became the badge of family honor--the "good name" to be proud of, to protect, and to fight for if need be. As the worthy deeds of the marching generations have given it dignity and splendor, it has become an institution, a family rallying cry, and the most treasured possession of those who bear it.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

The Colvin Armory

Coats of arms appeared initially in the 12th century as a means of helping combatants know who was on their side in the field of battle. The designs used were generally simple but distinctive, so that correct identification could be made quickly in the heat of battle. In time, the symbolism became more complex and often communicated something about the bearer's family, name, status, or place of residence.

Burke's General Armory, an old but authoritative resource on heraldic symbols and language, gives the following verbal description of the Colvil or Coleville family crest and coat of arms:

Arms: "Argent a cross moline gules, on a canton azure a trefoil slipped or."
Crest: "A hinds head couped argent, charged with a trefoil slipped vert."

A little library research revealed the heraldic meaning of the words as follows:

Argent: French word for "silver," one of the basic "tinctures" or colors of medieval shields.
Cross moline: The French word "moline" means mill. The cross moline resembles the metal straps that strengthen a millstone. The points at the ends of the straps were split and flared outward. The cross moline was used to indicate the eighth son.
Gules: red, a common color in heraldry. The red cross was often found on arms of those associated with the English court.
Canton azure: A canton is a square located, unless otherwise indicated, in the "chief dexter" or upper left corner of the shield, extending approximately 1/3 of the width of the shield. The upper right corner was known as the "chief sinister" position. It is important to note that the "chief dexter" position is on the right hand side of the shield bearer. Thus, the "chief sinister" position was to the bearer's left. In general, animals and other such figures faced the dexter side of the shield. Figures facing the sinister side of the shield represented illegitimacy.
Trefoil slipped or: A trefoil is a three-leafed grass, such a clover. The term "slipped" means torn or ripped loose from the main plant. It is the opposite of "couped" or cut cleanly. "Or" means gold, another heraldic tincture.
Hind's head couped argent: That simply means the head of a doe cut cleanly at the neck rendered in silver.
Charged: Charged objects are subordinate figures that appear in close association with or on top of main figures.
Vert: green

The crest was a later invention of the 15th century. The crest was worn on one's hat or clothing and was not associated battle. In time, families often forgot that they had a coat of arms, and the crest superceded the coat of arms in importance. Other families incorporated the coat of arms and family crest into a family seal complete with a motto, generally shown on a flowing banner beneath the coat of arms.

With respect to mottos, my research found no mention of the motto quoted from Burkes General Armory, "In hoc signo, vinces," God's oft quoted words to Emperor Constantine at the moment of his conversion to Christianity. Instead, I found four conflicting variations on the same theme used by various branches of the Colvin family. 

"Non obliviscar": Latin, meaning "I shall not forget."
"Obliviscar": "I shall forget."
"Obliviscaris": "Forget"<
"Oublier ne puis": French, meaning "I cannot forget."

One might be drawn to conclude that the various branches of the Colvins were in conflict over some issue in their distance past, now forever lost with the passage of time. Mottos, by the way, are very much a matter of individual preference. Therefore, feel free to adopt any of the above, according to your disposition or situation in life, or make up your own.

After several years of pondering the meaning of the Colvin motto and refusing to take sides with either the "remembering" or "forgetting" Colvins, I have finally decided, as a matter of individual preference, to adopt "Oblivisci"as the motto I will depict on the coat of arms on this site. It means "I have forgotten."  Having arrived at that stage in life where "senior moments" are likely to become more commonplace, my chosen motto is merely an admission of what will someday be very obvious to all of my friends and relatives, if not to me.

The Name and Family of Colvin

The name of COLVIN is said by some historians to be of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and derived from one Colvin or Colvinus, who was a "tenant-in-chief", of Devonshire, England, in the early eleventh century. It was first used as a personal or baptismal name and taken as a patronymic by the sons of one so called. Others assert that the name is of Scottish origin, but it is probable that the first-mentioned theory is correct. [More recent scholarship points to a Norman origin derived from de Colleville. Guillaume de Colleville and Gilbert de Colleville were both knights who served in William the Conqueror's invasion forces, though it is not clear that these de Collevilles are related to the Colvins. Later, the Coleville name came to be associated with the Roxburgh District of Scotland, and Colvin was derived from it. At any rate, the two names are closely associated. An American example may be found at Colvin's Mill in Virginia. The original mill was established by a Coleville in the 1700s, but the name was changed to Colvin sometime later. -- Michael Colvin]

In the ancient British and early American records the name is found in the various forms of Colven, Colvine, Colvyne, Colvyn, Colwyne, Colwyn, Colwin, Colvan, Colvin, and others, of which the last-mentioned spelling is that most generally used in America today. Families of this name were resident at early dates, not only in Scotland and in the English Counties of London and Devon, but also in the Counties of Donegal and Monaghan and other parts of Ireland. They appear to have been , for the most part, of the British landed gentry and yeomanry. One family bearing the name of Colvin was established at Dublin, Ireland, in the seventeenth century. Of this line, a "Mr." Colvin (Christian name unknown) was married about the beginning of the eighteenth century to Mary, daughter of Patrick Mór Duffy, of Attyduffy, County Monaghan, and his wife Mary, daughter of John Dawson, a Cromwellian officer, who settled at Dummany, County Monaghan. The issue of this marriage is not recorded, but the line undoubtedly continued at Dublin.

In England, the Colvins resided chiefly in Devon, but were settled at London before the beginning of the eighteenth century. Of this line, one Jane Colvin was married at St. James, Clerkenwell, in 1733 to Thomas Brewer. The records of this line are, however, only fragmentary. While records of the family in the British Isles are few and the connection between it and the first immigrants of the name in America is not in evidence, it is generally believed that most, if not all, of the Colvins trace their descent from a common European progenitor of a remote period.

Probably the first of the name in America was John Colvin, who came from England to Dartmouth, Mass., between 1679 and 1700. He removed to Providence, R.I., shortly afterward, probably about the year 1705. In that year he bought three hundred acres of land at Providence, and in the following year he bought more land at Mashantatack, on the north side of the Pawtuxet River. By his first wife, Dorothy, who he married sometime before the year 1679, he was father of none children, Anna, John, Stephen, Abigail, Samuel, Amey, Deborah, James, and Josiah, of who Stephen and Josiah are believed to have died young and without issue, since no further record of them is found. The immigrant John was married in 1726 to a second wife, named Mary Keach, by whom, however, he had no further issue; and he died in 1729.

John, eldest son of the immigrant John, removed with his father from Dartmouth to Providence and later made his home at Scituate, R.I. He was the father, probably by his first wife, Lydia, of eight children, Johnathan, Lydia, Charity, Stephen, John, Hopkins, Matthew, and Jeremiah, although one or two of these may have been by his second wife, the Widow Mary (née Lapham) Dyer, whom he married in 1734. He is believed to have had a third wife, named Margaret, before 1757, but there were no children by this union.

Samuel, third son of the immigrant John Colvin, resided at various times at Providence and Coventry, R.I. By his wife, Phebe, this Samuel was the father of thirteen children, Thomas, Daniel, Abigail, Joseph, Elizabeth, Sarah, Mary, Susannah, Richard, Content, Phebe, Rufus, and Samuel.

James, fourth son of the immigrant John, also resided at Providence and Coventry. He was the father, probably by his first wife (whose name is unknown), of Benjamin, Caleb, Moses, Josiah, Stephen, John, David, Henry, and Anne. One Peter Colvin, who may possibly have been related to the above-mentioned Rhode Island line, although the connection is not in evidence, made his home at Scituate, R.I., before 1747 and was married in that year to Ruth Wight, by whom he was the father of Ruth and possibly of Stephen, Elizabeth, and Delana, although some historians are of the opinion that the last three were the children of Moses and Naomi Colvin, of the same place.

Another possible descendant of the early Rhode Island line of the family was Luther Colvin, who removed from Rhode Island to Danby, Vt., in 1765. He was the father by his wife Ludia of Stephen, Caleb, John, Catherine, Lydia, Esther, Anna, and Freelove. Stephen Colvin, eldest son of the first Luther of Vermont, married Mary Merrithew and was the father by her of Benoni, Benajah, Luther, Moses, Jeremiah, Anthony, Alfred, Anna, Lydia, Sirena, and Phebe, of who Benoni and Luther removed to New York, while Alfred settled in Ohio. Caleb Colvin, second son of the first Luther of Vermont, married Anna Abbot, by whom he had issue of three children, Caleb, Anna, and Philadelphia, of whom the son made his home at Hartford, N.Y.

John Colvin, third and youngest son of the first Luther of Vermont, left issue by his wife, Lucy Frink, of Anna, John, James, Luther, and Caleb. Titus, Amos, Luther, and Oliver Colvin, who were living in Vermont at slightly later dates, may have been of the same family as the before-mentioned Luther, but their records are incomplete. Joseph Colvin, who was born in 1791 at Coventry, R.I., married Eunice Wight and settled at Abington, Pa. He had issue by her of Ocena, William Nichols, Anson George, Charles Alexander, and Marvin R.

One Colonel John Colvin, who is said to have been born in North Carolina in 1763, but whose parents' names are not given, was married in 1792 to Flora McAllister, by whom he was the father of Alexander, John, Charles, James, Mary, Henry de Rosset, William, and Timothy. Colonel John later married a second wife, Elizabeth Jones, and a third, named Catherine Rutledge, and had other children, whose names are not, however, in evidence. In connection with this line it is interesting to note the marriage of Jean Colvin, of Colvins Creek, N.C., to Colonel Alexander McAllister in 1763.

Another John Colvin, who was born near Douglas Castle, Scotland, in 1752, came to America in 1770 and settled at Nine Partners, in Dutchess County, N.Y. In 1774 he married Sarah Fuller (who is said to have been descended from one of the Mayflower emigrants) and removed to Albany County, in the same State. He and Sarah had issue of at least one son, named James, and probably had others as well. This James married Catharine Verplanck and was the father of, among others, a son name Andrew James Colvin.

Record was to be found in Virginia before 1774 of Daniel and Mason Colvin, of Culpeper County. It is probable that Mason was the son of Daniel and that he had, among others, brothers named Elkin and George. One Mason Colvin, of Culpeper County, Va., in the latter part of the eighteenth century, who may have been the same as the above-mentioned Mason, married Catherine Stringfellow and was the father by her of John, Harry, Nathaniel, James, Howard, Robert, Lucy, and Martha. There is, however, a tradition in this family that this Mason came from England with a brother named Robert.

Sometime before 1776 one William Colvin made his home in Queen Anne's County, Md. He is on record in that year as having a wife, two sons, and a daughter, but their names are not given. The members of the family in America have been characterized in general by their integrity, fortitude, love of liberty, and courage. Some lines have also been known for their leadership, executive ability, and literary talents.

Among those of the name who fought in the War of the Revolution were James Colvin. of New York; Daniel, Henry, George, Benjamin, Mason, James, Jeremiah, Elkin, and Lowther Calvin, of Virginia; Daniel, Thomas, and James Colvin, of Massachusetts; Timothy Colvin of Connecticut; Hugh, Jacob, James, John, Robert Jr., and Robert Colvin, of Pennsylvania; Amos, Daniel, Isaac, Joshua, Levi, Luther, Reuben, Richard, Stephen, and Titus Colvin, of Vermont; and many more as well. John, Stephen, Samuel, James, Thomas, Joseph, Henry, David, Richard, Charles, Daniel, George, and William are some of the Christian names preferred by the family for its male progeny.

A few of the many members of the family who have attained distinction in various parts of the world in more recent times are: John B. Colvin (latter eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries), of Maryland, politician and author. Sir Auckland Colvin (1838-1908), of England, historian. Verplanck Colvin (1847-1920), of Rhode Island, geologist. Sir Sidney Colvin (1845-1927), of England, critic and authority on art and literature. Sir Richard Beale Colvin (b. 1856), of England, military officer and author. Addison Beecher Colvin (b.1858), of New York, journalist and public official. Fred Herbert Colvin (b.1867), of New York, aeronautical engineer and author. Stephen Sheldon Colvin (1869-1923), of Rhode Island and Illinois, educator and author. Ian Duncan Colvin (b.1877), of England, historian and novelist. David Leigh Colvin (b. 1880, of New York, politician and writer. Carl Colvin (b. 1889), of New York and Illinois, educator and agriculturist. Esther Marie Colvin (b. 1894), of Washington, D.C., agriculturist, compiler, and author.

The coat of arms of the ancient and honorable English family of Colvin is described in heraldic terms as follows (Burke, General Armory, 1884): Arms.--"Argent, a cross moline gules, on a canton azure a trefoil slipped or." Crest.--"A hinds head couped argent, charged with a trefoil slipped vert." Motto.--"In hoc signo vinces."

BIBLIOGRAPHY

What About the Tartan?

The Scottish Colvins are a "non-aligned" family, meaning that they do not belong to a Scottish clan. If the truth be known, in the many battles that took place between the Highland Scots and the English, the Colvins were always to be found rooting for the English.

The background for this site is the Roxburgh District Tartan. Since there is a concentration of Colvins found in the Roxburgh District, it is appropriate that the Colvins would identify with the Roxburgh District Tartan, since they have no tartan of their own. The tartan's actual colors may be somewhat different than what you see here, and there are several different kinds of Roxburgh tartan, for different occasions and purposes.

To see the actual colors and varieties, go to the Tartan Finder at the House of Tartan pages.

This is the tartan worn by Colvin family members for ceremonial occasions. Colvins (Colevilles) of Scottish descent have lived in Roxburghshire, Scotland since the time of the Norman Invasion.