Surname Heaven - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'H'
Heaven: What does the surname Heaven mean?
The last name Heaven may be of either German or English origin. It is most likely a variant of the German ‘Haben’, which is a derivative of the word ‘haben’, meaning ‘to have’ or ‘possess’. It may also have derived from an Old English occupational name or surname, referring to one who worked as a hæfen, meaning a harbour-keeper.
The English surname may be a nickname too, indicating that the individual possessed a noble or heavenly disposition. This could be derived from the Middle English ‘heven’, meaning ‘heaven’, though the ultimate source of the name is uncertain.
The name could also be associated with the Latin words 'altivus’ and ‘caelum’, with the same meaning. These terms formed the basis of the French ‘heavenier’, used to describe a person who was ‘lofty’ or ‘sublime’. By this way of thinking, the last name Heaven symbolically represents a person of extraordinary moral or spiritual qualities.
The meaning of the surname remains somewhat ambiguous, but it could refer to someone having a heavenly or transecendent quality, or it could simply denote its bearer as a harbour-keeper. Whatever the origin, the name has the potential to bear some weighty symbolism.
Order DNA origin analysisHeaven: Where does the name Heaven come from?
The last name Heaven is most commonly found in the United Kingdom. It is primarily found in England, especially in the Cotswolds area. It is also found in Scotland, mainly in Fife. Heaven is not an especially common name, and its distribution is patchy around the world.
Records of the Heaven surname date back to 12th century Britain. Early traces of the name can be found in English counties such as Buckinghamshire, Derbyshire, and Devon. The earliest record of the name was in Ravendale, Derbyshire, where Willelmus de Wiuelyn was recorded around 1130.
The name Heaven is also seen in other English-speaking countries, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Records show that it was fairly uncommon in the United States before the 19th century, but has increased in prevalence since then. It is most common in the states of Texas, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.
In New Zealand, Heaven was the 284th most popular baby name in 2019, with at least 51 newborns given the name that year. It is common elsewhere in the Polynesian region as well, including in Samoa, Tonga, and Hawaii.
Within the United Kingdom, the surname Heaven is still actively used today. It is even popular enough to be the title of a musical set in the Cotswold Hills. Several notable people have the last name Heaven, such as British television comedian Stephen Heaven.
Variations of the surname Heaven
The surname Heaven can appear in a variety of forms, stemming from its numerous spellings and variant surnames derived from the same root. The name has been recorded with many spelling variations throughout its history, with those beginning with the letter 'H' being the most common.
Variations beginning with 'H' include Heaven, Heavin, Heven, Heavon, Heavan, Heavans, Heavonn, Heavinn, Hevin, Hevins, Hevyn, Hevyns and Hevann. Meanwhile, variants beginning with different letters include Havon, Eveon, Evon, Eavan, Eaven, Aiven and Aevon.
The name is an English topographic surname, which originated from the Old English word ‘heofon’, or its Middle English forms ‘heven’ and ‘heuen’, meaning ‘heaven’. It has biblical origins and was originally used to symbolize a person who lived near an area that resembled the heavens above.
The surnames Heaven, Heavans and Hevyn can be found scattered across the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. The surname has had 19 coats of arms granted throughout various countries and regions, including Denmark, Holland and Italy.
Throughout the centuries, many variants of this surname were created and used by various individuals. According to records from the International Genealogical Index, the Heaven variation has spread to multiple countries including England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Canada, The United States, Germany, France, Australia and New Zealand.
Famous people with the name Heaven
- Donna Heaven: English singer and songwriter.
- Angel Heaven: American actress and model.
- Shawntelle Heaven: Afro-American comic book artist and writer.
- Tiffany Heaven: English children’s author.
- Chris Heaven: French singer and composer.
- Valerie Heaven: British interior designer and founder of the Heaven Interiors.
- Jeff Heaven: American jazz organist and professor of jazz studies.
- Miranda Heaven: American make-up artist and YouTube celebrity
- Eric Heaven: Canadian painting artist and sculptor.
- Heaven Stanback: American actress and singer.