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Irish surname

Travers: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

de Tráibears · Norman 'de Tryvers', i.e. of Treviers in Normandy

Woulfe (1923) gives Travers as a Norman name in Ireland, from 'de Tryvers', of Treviers in Normandy, and calls it 'a rather old surname in Dublin and many parts of the south of Ireland, especially Kildare, Carlow, Tipperary and Cork'. In 1890 Ireland's birth indexes held 38 Travers entries, principally in Donegal, Dublin and Leitrim.

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Coat of arms associated with the Travers surname
Irish formde Tráibears
MeaningNorman 'de Tryvers', i.e. of Treviers in Normandy
CountiesDublin, Kildare, Carlow, Tipperary
Other spellings5
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Travers crest gifts

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Origin of the Travers name

Norman, per Woulfe: de Tráibears, from 'de Tryvers', of Treviers in Normandy; 'a rather old surname in Dublin and many parts of the south of Ireland, especially Kildare, Carlow, Tipperary and Cork'. Separately, Woulfe prints (Travors, Travers) in brackets under the Gaelic Ó Treabhair, an ecclesiastical family of Co. Leitrim.[1][3]

  1. 1595Walter Travers sworn in as provost of Trinity College, Dublin (5 Dec.).[7]
  2. 1598Walter Travers resigns the provostship (10 Oct.) and returns to England.[7]
  3. 189038 Travers birth entries; principally Donegal, Dublin and Leitrim.[4][5]

Where in Ireland

Co. DublinWoulfe: a rather old surname in Dublin; a principal Travers county in 1890.[1][4]
Co. KildareNamed first by Woulfe among southern counties where the surname is old.[1]
Co. CarlowNamed by Woulfe among southern counties where the surname is old.[1]
Co. TipperaryNamed by Woulfe among southern counties where the surname is old.[1]
Co. CorkNamed by Woulfe among southern counties where the surname is old.[1]
Co. DonegalFirst county named for Travers births in the 1890 birth indexes.[4]
Co. LeitrimWoulfe prints (Travers) in brackets under Ó Treabhair, a Co. Leitrim family; a principal Travers county in 1890.[3][4]

Notable people named Travers

Walter Travers1548?–1635Nottingham-born puritan divine; provost of Trinity College, Dublin, 1595–1598; left it £100 in his will.[7]

Other spellings

Travors · Trevors · de Travers · Trevers · Trivers[1][2][6]

The Travers coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Travers 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.

Travers surname: questions

Is Travers an Irish name?

Woulfe treats Travers as Norman: from 'de Tryvers', of Treviers in Normandy, 'a rather old surname in Dublin and many parts of the south of Ireland'. He also prints Travers in brackets under the Gaelic Leitrim name Ó Treabhair.[1][3]

What does the surname Travers mean?

Woulfe gives Norman 'de Tryvers', meaning 'of Treviers in Normandy'.[1]

Where in Ireland is the Travers name found?

Woulfe names Dublin and the south of Ireland, especially Kildare, Carlow, Tipperary and Cork. In 1890 Travers births were principally found in Donegal, Dublin and Leitrim.[1][4]

What is the Ó Treabhair family?

Woulfe describes Ó Treabhair, 'descendant of Treabhar' (prudent, wise, skilful), as an ecclesiastical family in Co. Leitrim, of the same stock as the MacClancys, who were erenaghs of Killarga. He prints Travors and Travers in brackets under it.[3]

Sources

  1. de Tráibears — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/d/de-traibears.php
  2. Tráibhears — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/t/traibhears.php
  3. Ó Treabhair — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/ot/o-treabhair.php
  4. Travers — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/travers.php
  5. Table Explanation — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/table-explanation.php
  6. Travers (1979) — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/1979.php
  7. Travers, Walter — Dictionary of National Biography, 1885–1900, Wikisource. en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/...

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