Surname Jewit - Meaning and Origin

Jewit: What does the surname Jewit mean?

The surname Jewit is of English origin, derived from personal names such as Jowett or Gervaise. It is patronymic, and at times, has been used as a nickname. The name Jowett is an affectionate diminutive of the Middle English personal name Julian or Juliana, with added diminutive suffix "-et". It means "Little Julian". The personal name Julian, from which Jewit derives, is from the Roman family name Julianus which means "youthful" or "downy". The name Gervaise, from which Jewit could also have derived, is from an Old German personal name composed of the elements 'gari', meaning 'spear' and 'wic' meaning 'battle'. Not every instance of the surname Jewit necessarily shares the same origin, as surnames developed independently in different regions. Spelling variations of the name include Jewitt, Jewet, Jewitt, and others. As with many surnames, interpretations of the meaning can vary.

Jewit: Where does the name Jewit come from?

The last name Jewit is of English origin and is thought to have originated in the Yorkshire region of England, where the first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Jordan Jowet. This name dates back to 1284 and was documented in the "Assize Court Rolls of Yorkshire." The name is derived from two Old French words, "jouet" meaning joy, and "gaiet" which means happiness or mirth. Displaying humor or being a joker may have been a distinguishing characteristic of the original family.

Today, the name can be found in various forms such as Jewitt, Jowett, Joet, Jouet, etc., all over the world. However, the most significant numbers of people bearing the surname Jewit are found in the United States, England, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, reflecting the history of migration from the United Kingdom to these countries. Despite these numbers, it remains a relatively uncommon surname.

Variations of the surname Jewit

The surname Jewit is of British origin and has several variant spellings and related surnames. The most direct variations include Jewitt, Jewett, Jewet, and Jewitts. There are also longer and complex variations such as Jewettson and Jewetson.

This surname could be traced back to several possible roots. One hypothesis is that it could have originated from the personal name Juatt, which is a diminutive of Julian. Another theory suggests that it might come from the Old French Jehan (John) with the diminutive suffix -et, forming Jehanet, Jehuet, or Jeuet, later Anglicized into Jewit and its variants.

Surnames like Jowett and Jowitt are considered to have the same origin, deriving from diminutive forms of the given name John, with the changing pronunciation over the years resulting in the different forms. Therefore, all these surnames, although spelled differently, could potentially refer to descendants of the same progenitor.

It's worth mentioning that the distribution and spelling of family names can significantly change over centuries due to factors like migration, regional dialects, illiteracy, and phonetic spelling. As a result, these variations may be more or less common in different locations and periods.

Famous people with the name Jewit

• Duncan Jewitt: English weatherman
• J. Michael Jewitt: American electrical engineer
• Ernest Jewitt: British cricketer
• Bill Jewitt: Canadian actor
• Gemma Jewitt: British actress
• Steven Jewitt: Canadian doctor
• Vincent Jewitt: Australian documentary filmmaker
• Deborah Jewitt: American poet
• Christopher Jewitt: English writer
• Christopher Lang Jewitt: British admiral
• David Jewitt: American astronomer
• Grant Jewitt: Canadian politician
• Joshua Jewitt: English footballer
• Grahammi Jewitt: British fencer
• Jimmy Jewitt: English footballer
• Melanie Jewitt: Scottish politician
• Peter Jewitt: English actor
• Richard Jewitt: English musician
• Sarah Jewitt: British dietitian
• William Jewitt: English footballer

Other surnames

Jewitt