Find out how popular the last name Bevis is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bevis.

Bevis, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bevis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bevis in America

Bevis is the 12068th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bevis surname appeared 2,584 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Bevis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bevis to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Bevis

The surname Bevis is of Anglo-Norman origin, deriving from the French personal name Beuves or Bevys. This name is believed to have derived from an Old Frankish name composed of the elements "bi" meaning "near" and "vits" meaning "wood". The name was introduced to England after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Bevis date back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears in various spellings such as Beuvis, Bevys, and Bevis. The surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex, suggesting that it may have originated in the eastern regions of England.

One notable historical figure bearing the surname Bevis was Sir Bevis of Hampton, a legendary English knight who was the subject of a popular medieval romance. The tale of Sir Bevis of Hampton, which dates back to the 13th century, recounts the adventures and exploits of this knight, who is depicted as a valiant and chivalrous hero.

Another individual of note was William Bevis, who lived in the late 14th century and was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Bristol. Records from this time period indicate that he owned several properties and played an influential role in the city's commercial affairs.

In the 15th century, John Bevis, a clergyman and scholar, served as the Bishop of Carlisle from 1448 to 1463. He was known for his contributions to the church and his involvement in various ecclesiastical matters during his tenure as bishop.

Moving into the 16th century, there was Thomas Bevis, a renowned English cartographer and surveyor who lived from around 1510 to 1580. He is best known for his detailed maps and surveys of various regions in England, including the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk.

Finally, in the 17th century, John Bevis (1695-1771) was a notable English physician and astronomer. He made significant contributions to the field of astronomy, particularly in the areas of comet observation and the study of eclipses. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Society and published several works on astronomical subjects.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bevis

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bevis.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bevis was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Bevis has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bevis was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bevis, please contact us.

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