Surname Jervis - Meaning and Origin

Jervis: What does the surname Jervis mean?

The English surname Jervis is derived from the Norman French personal name Gervaise, which is a form of the name Gerald or Gerard. The name is composed of the elements geri, meaning "spear", and wig, meaning "battle". As an English surname, Jervis likely became a hereditary last name when a descendant of Gervaise adopted it as a surname following the custom of the time.

Throughout the centuries, Jervis has been a common surname and has been spelled various ways, including Jervise, Giftis, Girvis, Jerves, Garvis, Gerviss, and Gervisset.

Today, families with this surname can likely trace their origin back to medieval France. It was likely first brought to England by the Normans in the 11th century conquest. The Jervis spelling likely first appeared in medieval records in the 13th century.

The Jervis surname has a physically active origin, being derived from a name meaning “the spear of battle.” Additionally, Jervis is one of the few English names as of yet with no recognized coat of arms. This suggests that the name is of relatively recent origin and confirms that it was brought to England in more recent times.

Jervis: Where does the name Jervis come from?

The last name Jervis is most commonly found in the United Kingdom today. In the 2018 UK Census, the Jervis surname was ranked as the 15,138th most popular name in the country. This is a large jump from the 21,202nd rank it had in 1881.

The name is believed to have originated in Cheshire, a county in northwest England. The Cheshire parish of St Wilfred's, of which the names Jericho and GirDadus are documented, was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, giving credence to the theory that it doesn't sexualise Jervis as its root. It's possible that this name could have been derived from several places in the county or from an occupation.

In addition to the United Kingdom, the last name Jervis is also present in the United States, Canada, and Australia. Relative to its presence in the UK, however, it is much less common. In the 2020 US census, for example, the name Jervis was ranked as the 38,631st most popular name in the US.

While the greater British Isles is where the name is most commonly found, there are also occurrences of the Jervis name across many other countries, including Ireland, Germany, France, and New Zealand.

Variations of the surname Jervis

The surname Jervis is a spelling variant of Jarvis and is of Irish origin. The Jervis surname comes from the Gaelic word Ogarsidhe (Gaels) which means "servant of the god".

The surname Jervis is derived from the given name Jarvis meaning "servant of JARVE" which is an old Anglo-Saxon name. It can be found in records as early as the 11th century in England. Other spellings of Jervis include Jervius, Jervys, and Jervice.

Variations of the surname Jervis include Gerriss, Gerrissen, Gerris, Gerrison, Gerreson, Jarris, Jarvess, and Jarvis. The spelling variants vary by region, with the different spellings occurring mainly in different parts of England.

The Irish variants of Jervis include Jerth, Jerthill, Jerthis, Jerthiss, Jerthillis, and Gerrish, with some variations also occurring in Scotland and Wales. The Scottish variants of Jervis include Jarvie, Jarvies, Jarvees, and Jarvace, with some variations also occurring in Ireland and Wales.

The Welsh variants of Jervis include Jarvish, Jervish, Jarvisse, Gerress, and Gerrish, with some variations also occurring in Ireland and Scotland.

In summary, the variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin for Jervis are Gerriss, Gerrissen, Gerris, Gerrison, Gerreson, Jarris, Jarvess, Jarvis, Jerth, Jerthill, Jerthis, Jerthiss, Jerthillis, Gerrish, Jarvie, Jarvies, Jarvees, Jarvace, Jarvish, Jervish, Jarvisse, Gerress, and Gerrish.

Famous people with the name Jervis

• Mel Jervis: Former lead vocalist and guitarist for British new wave band Missing Persons.
• Alexander Jervis: American historian and author.
• Bob Jervis: American football player who played guard for the Mississippi State Bulldogs from 1951 to 1954.
• Frank Jervis: Award-winning Editor of Maclean's, Canadian News Magazine.
• Sandy Jervis: American composer and classical music producer.
• Morgan Jervis: British rower who won a silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.
• Roger Jervis: British Conservative Member of Parliament for St Albans, 1981-1997.
• Jim Jervis: Former product manager for the Apple Computer Stanley Division in the 1980s.
• Stephen Jervis: British actor who is known for his roles in shows such as Downton Abbey.
• Jane Jervis: Child actress who played young Sarah Jane Smith in the Doctor Who episode, The Sarah Jane Adventures.

Other surnames

Jervise