Jarvis Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Jarvis last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Jarvis last name
Meaning of the Jarvis last name: from Gervase. Jarvis is an English surname from the Norman first name Gervase, linked to an old Germanic word for "spear". The name spread through devotion to Saint Gervasius, an early martyr of Milan, and the Normans brought it to England. The last name is widespread, especially in Norfolk and the Midlands. A curious detail of this family name meaning: the J spelling shows how English mouths reshaped the French sound.
Arms associated with the Jarvis name
Animals on English shields stood for the qualities admired in them, such as the lion for courage, and that heraldic language shapes coats of arms associated with the Jarvis surname.
Get your full Jarvis family history
This is only a glimpse of the Jarvis story. The full Jarvis history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Jarvis coat of arms. Get the full Jarvis report.
Jarvis name FAQ
What does the Jarvis name mean?
From Gervase. Common variants include Jervis, Gervis.
Where does the Jarvis surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Australia and Canada.
Is there a Jarvis coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Jarvis coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).