The Gawend surname is a Brythonic Celtic
name that comes from the personal name
Gawen. This name was popular due to the exploits traditionally attributed to Sir Gawaine, a nephew of King Arthur
who was a native of the English/ Welsh
border area and was famed for his exploits as a Knight of the Round Table. Sir Gawaine was the hero of the battle with the giant Rhyence: 'That Gawain with his olde eurtesie.' Chaucer, The Squire's Tale. Independently, the surname Gawend is native to the Isle of Man
, and as a Manx name, it is an occupational
surname derived from Mac-an-Gabhain, which means the smith's son.
Early Origins of the Gawend family
The surname Gawend was first found in Wiltshire
, where "the Gawens of Norrington, in the parish of Alvideston, continued in that place four hundred
fifty and odd yeares. On the south downe of the farme of Broad Chalke is a little barrow called Gawen's Barrow, which must bee before ecclesiastical lawes were established." CITATION[CLOSE]
Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
The Hundredorum Rolls
of 1273 list Goselena filius
Gawyne in Cambridgeshire
and the Yorkshire Poll Tax
Rolls of 1379 list Peter Gowyn and Emma Gawyn. CITATION[CLOSE]
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Early History of the Gawend family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gawend research.Another 161 words (12 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gawend History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Gawend Spelling Variations
Compared to other ancient cultures found in the British Isles, the number of Welsh
surnames are relatively few, but there are an inordinately large number of spelling variations
. These spelling variations
began almost as soon as surname usage became common. People could not specify how to spell their own names leaving the specific recording up to the individual scribe or priest. Those recorders would then spell the names as they heard them, causing many different variations. Later, many Welsh
names were recorded in English. This transliteration process was extremely imprecise since the Brythonic Celtic
language of the Welsh
used many sounds the English language was not accustomed to. Finally, some variations occurred by the individual's design: a branch loyalty within a family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations were indicated by spelling variations of one's name. The Gawend name over the years has been spelled Gawen, Gaven, Gavin and others.
Early Notables of the Gawend family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Gawend Notables in all our PDF Extended History products
and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Gawend family to the New World and Oceana
joined the great migrations to North America in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Like their Scottish and Irish neighbors, many Welsh
families left their homeland hoping to find hope and prosperity in a land that the English did not exercise a tight rule over. Those Welsh
immigrants that successfully traveled to North America went on to make significant contributions to the rapid development of both Canada and the United States in terms of the settling of land and the establishment of industry. They also added to the rich cultural heritage of both countries. An examination into the immigration and passenger lists has discovered a number of people bearing the name Gawend: James, John, Michael, Thomas Gavin arrived in Philadelphia between 1775 and 1850; Thomas Gavin settled in Maryland in 1774; John MacGavin arrived in Philadelphia in 1844..