Show ContentsEver History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Ever family

The surname Ever was first found in Kent at Hever, a village and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District. The village dates back to the Saxon Chronicle where it was listed as Heanfre in 814. Literally the place name means "high edge." 1 The name Ever could have been a derivative of the Middle English word "heve" meaning 'to lift, raise', denoting a porter, carrier. 2

Nearby, Hever Castle was originally a country house built in the 13th century. Anne Boleyn, the second queen consort of King Henry VIII of England, spent her early youth there. The castle survived over the years and is now a tourist attraction. One of the first listing of the family was found in Sussex in the 13th century.

"The family of Heaver takes its name from the Kentish parish of Hever." 3

Early History of the Ever family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ever research. Another 134 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1194, 1455, 1487, 1510, 1562 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Ever History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ever Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Ever include Hever, Heaver, Hefer, Heafer, Hepher, Ever, Eever and many more.

Early Notables of the Ever family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • the Hever family of Sussex and Surrey


Ever migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Ever or a variant listed above:

Ever Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Canesh Ever, aged 30, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1732 4

Ever migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Ever Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Jesse Ever, who arrived in Canada in 1836
  • John Ever, who landed in Canada in 1836
  • Mark Ever, who arrived in Canada in 1836


  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  4. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


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