Purvis Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Purvis last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Purvis last name
Meaning of the Purvis last name: purveyor of provisions. Purvis is an English and Scottish surname for a purveyor, an officer who bought provisions for a great household, from Old French porveor. The last name was common in Northumberland and the Scottish Borders and spread to the American South.
Arms associated with the Purvis name
Coats of arms associated with the Purvis last name belong to the English heraldic tradition, each with its own blazon.
Get your full Purvis family history
This is only a glimpse of the Purvis story. The full Purvis 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 Purvis coat of arms. Get the full Purvis report.
Purvis name FAQ
What does the Purvis name mean?
purveyor of provisions. Common variants include Purves, Purvess.
Where does the Purvis surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Canada, Australia and Scotland.
Is there a Purvis coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Purvis coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946).