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Irish surname

Devereux: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Déabhrús · Woulfe: 'of Evereux' in Normandy

Woulfe (1923) gives Devereux as de Evereux, 'of Evereux' in Normandy, and says the family came into England at the Norman Conquest and into Ireland at the Anglo-Norman invasion, when they settled in Co. Wexford. In 1890, 16 Devereux birth entries were registered in Ireland, 8 of them in Wexford.

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Coat of arms associated with the Devereux surname
Irish formDéabhrús
MeaningWoulfe: 'of Evereux' in Normandy
CountiesWexford
Other spellings4

Origin of the Devereux name

Woulfe: 'de Evereux, Devereux; i.e. "of Evereux" in Normandy.' The family 'came into England at the time of the Norman Conquest, and into Ireland at the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion, when they settled in Co. Wexford.'[1]

  1. 1572Walter Devereux is created Earl of Essex by Queen Elizabeth.[6]
  2. 1573Walter Devereux is granted the district of Clandeboy; he lands in Antrim in August.[6]
  3. 1599Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, lands in Ireland on 15 April as Lord-Lieutenant.[7]
  4. 189016 Devereux birth entries in Ireland, 8 of them in Wexford.[4]

Where in Ireland

Co. WexfordWoulfe: the Anglo-Norman family settled in Co. Wexford; Matheson 1890: 8 Devereux entries in Wexford.[1][4]

Notable people named Devereux

Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essexb. c.1540English-born (Carmarthenshire, Webb says); created Earl of Essex in 1572 and granted Clandeboy in 1573. Webb gives no link to the Wexford Devereux family.[6]
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essexb. 1567Son of the preceding, born in Herefordshire; appointed Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, landed 15 April 1599. Webb gives no link to the Wexford family.[7]

Other spellings

de Evereux · Deverill · Devery · Duvick[1]

The Devereux coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Devereux surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Devereux crest gifts

Clan Devereux Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapOY21 Classic Cap - Devereux Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Devereux Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Devereux Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap KC11 Devereux Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Devereux Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00

Devereux surname: questions

What does the surname Devereux mean?

Woulfe gives it as de Evereux, i.e. 'of Evereux' in Normandy.[1]

Is Devereux an Irish or a Norman name?

Woulfe says the Devereux family came into England at the Norman Conquest and into Ireland at the Anglo-Norman invasion, when they settled in Co. Wexford. He quotes Dr. E. Hogan: 'The Devereuxes were the wealthiest and most powerful of all the Strongbowian race in Wexford.'[1]

Where in Ireland is the Devereux name found?

Woulfe places the Anglo-Norman family in Co. Wexford. In 1890, Matheson gives 16 Devereux birth entries in Ireland (Leinster 12, Munster 3, Ulster 1), 8 of them in Wexford.[1][4]

Do all Devereuxes descend from the Norman family?

Woulfe does not say so. Separately he prints Devereux among the forms of Ó Deirbhreó ('apparently a corruption' of Ó Dairbhre), and says Devereux is 'incorrectly' and 'wrongly re-anglicised' for the Norman Deibhnis (Devenish) in Co. Waterford.[2][3]

Sources

  1. Déabhrús — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/d/deabhrus.php
  2. Ó Deirbhreó — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/od/o-deirbhreo.php
  3. Deibhnis — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/d/deibhnis.php
  4. Devereux — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/devereux.php
  5. Devereux — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/459.php
  6. Devereux, Walter, 1st Earl of Essex — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/WalterDevereux1stEarlofEssex.php
  7. Devereux, Robert, 2nd Earl of Essex — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/RobertDevereux2ndEarlofEssex.php

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).