Surname Pevley - Meaning and Origin
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Pevley: What does the surname Pevley mean?
The last name Pevley is of British origin. It is thought to be a combination of two Anglo-Saxon words – pægel, meaning stream, and leah, meaning a cleared area of land. Essentially, it is thought to mean a “clearing near a stream”.
The surname first appears in records in the 1300s and is thought to have originated in Northern England. As these surnames were typically based on geographical locations, it’s likely that the Pevley family hailed from the area of Northern England near a stream.
The surname was spread across the British Isles with wave of migration in the 18th and 19th centuries, and those bearing the name Pevley are still found in England, Scotland, and Wales.
The surname also is held by some immigrants to the United States, with the earliest records of the name appearing in Pennsylvania in the mid 19th century.
The meaning of the surname Pevley is a reminder of the family’s Anglo-Saxon heritage, and is a tribute to the areas of Northern England where the family likely originated. Today, the name is a reminder of the past and is still held by many people around the world.
Order DNA origin analysisPevley: Where does the name Pevley come from?
The last name Pevley is most commonly found in the United States today, especially in the Southern and Midwest regions, particularly in states such as Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee.
Pevley is an English-descended last name of French origin. It is believed that it first appeared in the English-speaking world in the early 1700s, soon after Huguenots (French Protestants) began settling in England after being persecuted in their own homeland. Due to wars or other persecution, many of those settlers eventually immigrated to the United States, bringing their name with them.
Today, the last name Pevley is not commonly found in France itself. In the USA, many descendents of those early Huguenot settlers still carry on the Pevley name. People with this last name often have ties to the southern United States due to the historical ties that the Huguenot community had to the region prior to the American Revolution.
The last name Pevley is not particularly common today. However, it has a long and rich history in relation to the United States, tying it directly to the French immigrant experience in the New World. Even today, many Pevleys can be found in the US, often in southern states such as Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee.
Variations of the surname Pevley
The surname Pevley is an English occupational name derived from the Old English word “pefele”, meaning “keeper of the horses” or a steward of a large estate. The name is found in many different variations, with the most common being Pevley, Pefley, and Pappley.
The predominantly English spelling of Pevley has remained relatively unchanged since its earliest records in the 12th century. Variations of Pevley are often found in British documents, records, and registers of the 19th and 20th centuries, along with spellings such as Pevly and Paveley.
The surname Pefley is derived from the same Old English root as Pevley, and is likely just a phonetic variation of the same surname. The spelling Pappley is likely to be a derivative of the name as well – possibly a combination of Pevley and Pefley. Other very rare variations of the name include Papley, Pebly, Pebbley, and Peblley.
There are numerous other surnames with names related to the same Old English root – Pailey, Paley, Pebley, Peblick, and Pevlich, to name a few. Each of these surnames likely derive from the same old Anglo-Saxon profession of a steward responsible for a large estate’s horses.
The name Pevley has been found to have numerous spelling variations across the past seven centuries, but each of these variations are likely just phonetic derivations from the same name. All of these names trace their roots to the same occupation – the keeper of horses in a large estate.
Famous people with the name Pevley
- Chelsea Pevley: American television actress best known for her role in the popular series Life with Boys.
- Zac Pevley: American soccer player who currently plays for the Louisville City FC.
- Laura Pevley: American politician elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives in 2018.
- Bridget Pevley: American visual artist and graphic designer living and working in Los Angeles, California.
- Tori Pevley: Canadian country singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in London, Ontario.
- David Pevley: British mathematician and former professor at the University of Cambridge.
- Kim Pevley: Actress, producer, and comedian currently performing in New York City.
- Dan Pevley: Award-winning American film producer and president of Pevley Productions.
- Misty Pevley: Popular radio personality and show host of “The Morning Pevley Show” in Nashville, Tennessee.
- Mike Pevley: Retired American professional basketball and baseball player, playing for several NBA teams over his career.