Pendarvis History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Pendarvis

What does the name Pendarvis mean?

The Atlantic Ocean to the north and west and the English Channel to the south borders Cornwall, the homeland to the Pendarvis family name. Even though the usage of surnames was common during the Middle Ages, all English people were known only by a single name in early times. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames are derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. The Pendarvis family originally lived in Cornwall, in the ancient village of Pendarvey.

Early Origins of the Pendarvis family

The surname Pendarvis was first found in Cornwall where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Camborne. Few early records of the family exist and it is not until about the year 1520 that we find Thomas Pendarves seated at Camborne. "Within [the Camborne Church] there are several memorials for the family of Pendarves. There is a bust of Sir William in armour, on the head of which is a flowing peruke." 1

"At Green Bank, or Dunstanville Terrace, the manor or reputed manor of Penwerris, in which it is situated, this being his lordship's property. This manor, with several other estates, he inherits from his grandmother, Mary Pendarves, by whose great uncle it had been purchased of the Killigrews, about the year 1660." 1

Early History of the Pendarvis family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pendarvis research. Another 124 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1600, 1622, 1637, 1656 and 1819 are included under the topic Early Pendarvis History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pendarvis Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Pendarves, Pendarvs, Pendarvus, Pentarves, Pentarvis and many more.

Early Notables of the Pendarvis family

Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pendarvis Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pendarvis Ranking

In the United States, the name Pendarvis is the 15,705^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Pendarvis family

The records on immigrants and ships' passengers show a number of people bearing the name Pendarvis: Lawrence Pentarvis who landed in America in 1750.

Contemporary Notables of the name Pendarvis (post 1700) +

Albert Pendarvis, nicknamed The Old Trailblazer, an American Christian radio broadcaster
Janice Gadsden Pendarvis, American singer, songwriter, and voiceover artist
Cleotis Pendarvis (b. 1986), American professional boxer in the Welterweight division

Citations +

Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/