Surname Cheevers - Meaning and Origin

Cheevers: What does the surname Cheevers mean?

The last name Cheevers is an anglicized form of the Irish surname “O’Ceoibhear”. The surname originated in County Tipperary, Ireland and is derived from the Irish words “ceoib,” meaning “shield,” and “fear,” meaning “man.” Therefore, Cheevers can be translated to mean “a man of the shield.”

The Cheevers are a branch of the O’Ceoibhear family which descends from Ceoibhear, the son of Dermot O’Carroll of Ely, King of Oriel. The Cheevers first settled on the border of Tipperary and Kilkenny in the mid 1700s, but later left and moved to Ireland’s north coast.

The Cheevers were known as an adventurous and hardworking family. They were renowned traders, fishermen, and sailors, and often left the country in search of a better life overseas. Many of them arrived in the United States and Canada during the 19th and 20th centuries, settling in areas such as New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Michigan. In addition, some of the Cheevers also established themselves in Scotland and Australia.

The Cheevers are a proud and resilient clan who continue to fight for their rights and maintain their Irish heritage today. The name Cheevers is a reminder of their strength and determination, and of the hard work and dedication that has been passed down from generation to generation.

Cheevers: Where does the name Cheevers come from?

Today, Cheevers is most often associated with people in the UK and Ireland. The surname is most commonly found in areas like London, Dublin and Cork. In the United States, the majority of Cheevers can be found in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Jersey.

The Cheevers family originated in County Tipperary, Ireland. The family's long association with this region places them among the old Irish nobility lines. Records from the 1600s illustrate how prominent they were in the region.

In the 1800s, more and more Cheevers began to move to the United Kingdom and the United States. Many of them eventually made their way to New England states, where the surname is still fairly prominent today.

In more recent years, Cheevers have spread across the globe, with many of the surname holders living in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Today, Cheevers is still a recognizable last name. Publications about genealogy have identified Cheevers as one of the top 100 surnames in the United Kingdom. It's also listed as one of the more popular surnames in the United States.

Variations of the surname Cheevers

The surname Cheevers is an anglicized version of the Old French "Chevelier" or "Chavelier," which means "knight" or "horseman." As a surname, Cheevers has many variants and spellings, including Cheever, Chevers, Chevis, Chivers, and Cievers. The surname can also be found spelled as Cheveres, Cheverry, Kheever, Chiever, Cheavers, Ceevors, Chaveers, and Chavers.

In the United States, Cheevers is an uncommon surname with roots in England, Ireland, and Scotland. In England, the name was first discovered in 1290 in London, and the earliest record of the name comes from the county of Herefordshire. Meanwhile, in Ireland, the first mention of the name was found in Cork in 1245. The earliest Scottish record of the name appears in 1290 in Aberdeenshire.

In other countries, the surname Cheevers is spelled differently. In France, the variation is "Charmie," while in Germany, it is spelled "Karmey". In Italy it's "Cheveri," and in Spain it is spelled "Calvari". In Poland, it appears as "Cywerski", and in Sweden, it is known as "Kivars". The surname is also found in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

The variant Cheevers also appears to have a patronymic relationship with other surnames, with connections to the Cheekers/Chechers, Chavers/Chavers-Dales, Chevillus, Chevasse, Cheverels, Cheviot, and Chewett families.

Famous people with the name Cheevers

• Robert Cheevers: Robert Cheevers is a critically acclaimed American novelist, playwright, short story writer, and screenwriter. He is best known for his picaresque novels set in his home state of Oklahoma, and for his short stories about his experiences growing up there.
• Gordie Cheevers: Gordie Cheevers is a former professional hockey player who played in the NHL for the Boston Bruins from 1972-1980. He won the Norris Trophy in 1979 as the league's best defenseman.
• Michael D. Cheevers: Michael D. Cheevers is a US Army Major General who currently serves as the Deputy Commanding General for US Army Europe. He has previously commanded the 3rd Infantry Division, as well as held a number of senior staff positions in the US Army.
• Patrick Cheevers: Patrick Cheevers is an American singer-songwriter and record producer, best known for his work with artists such as Celine Dion, Neil Diamond, and Ricky Martin.
• Jody Cheevers: Jody Cheevers is an American Olympic curler, who won a silver medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics. She has also curling at the World Curling Championships as well as a number of other national and international events.

Other surnames

CheeverCheeves