The Given Family Name

Heraldry is personal: arms associated with the Givens surname were borne by specific families, and sharing the name does not mean sharing the blazon.

Meaning of the name

Before spelling settled in the modern era, so Givens could easily become Given. In origin, the name means “Son of Given”.

Without the “s” of Givens, Given is a simpler written form of the same name. Spellings drifted because names were written down by ear in parish books, tax rolls and passenger lists. You may also find the name written Givins. Given ranked 8,784 in the 2010 US Census, with 3,733 people answering to the name. That is enough to place it in the top 10,000 American surnames.

For the full story, order the Given surname pack.