This page was updated on 28 July 2001
As I am often asked for the origin of the CHILVERS surname I am compiling a collection of possibilities.
A few surname dictionaries contain references to the name but I have to confess that my preferred choice is the following extract from "A Dictionary of Surnames" by Patrick Hanks & Flavia Hodges published by Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-211592-8
Chilver
English: probably from a ME survival of the OE personal name Céolfrið,
composed of the elements céol ship + frið
peace.
Patr.: Chilvers.
The above definition is supported by Basil Cottle in the "The Penguin Dictionary of Surnames", ISBN 0-14-051032-X
Chilver(s) F "ship
(cf. keel) peace" OE; and "(son) of C_____"
From "A Dictionary
of English Surnames" by
P.H. Reaney & R.M.Wilson, Published by Routledge, ISBN 0-415-05737-X
CHILVER, CHILVERS : Robert Chilver 1674 HTSf (Health Tax Returns - Suffolk).
from Chilvers
Coton (Wa).
I have come across a source that claims that CHILVERS is a Viking name and has its roots in Scottish history or even a Norman who came over with William the Conqueror. CHILVERS then becomes confused with Chever, Chevers, Chevercourt, Chevercot, Cheves, Chevys, Cheevers, Chivers, Chilver amongst others.
I am often mis-spelt as CHILDERS which is a rare name in England but much more common in the USA. This has Irish roots and is probably derived from CHILDERHOUSE. Many people probably unconsciously connect the name with the well known Erskine CHILDERS.
Is there a CHILVERS Coat of Arms? That depends on whether you
believe that the name has noble or more humble origins. If you
think that CHIVERS & CHILVERS are connected (and I remain
to be convinced) then there are some options available. As for
my feelings - I'm proud to be descended from a family of a hard
working "Ag.Labs.".
"The Oxford English Dictionary lists chilver as an Old English noun meaning a ewe lamb, often referred to as a 'chilver lamb'. They specify that it is still in use in 'southern dialects' (by which I assume they mean dialects in southern England, as it is certainly not known in the Australian dialect) The Oxford cites instances between 1000AD and 1883AD.
"By contrast, surname dictionaries tend to refer to the Old English name Ceolfrio or Ceolfrith: ceol meaning 'ship' and frio meaning 'peace'.
"I have yet to find any source that evinces the change from ceolfrio to chilver. According to most linguistic texts, the sound /s/ has never changed in English. The /f/ sound was always an allophone of /v/, and the /v/ sound only occurred between vowels, so it is very unlikely that the sound /ceolfrio/ could have changed to /chilver/ in the transition from Old to Middle English, or from Middle to Modern English. In transliteration from Gaelic to English, a /f/ sound is often changed to a /v/ sound, so part may have been possible if ceolfrio were Welsh, Scots Gaelic, or Irish. If chilver is, indeed, connected to ceolfrio, it would thus suggest Celtic origins rather than Norse, as some have suggested. But this, too, is unlikely.
"However, as the phonetic connection with ceolfrio is questionable, I would tend to dismiss the connection with ceolfrio altogether as speculative and lean towards acknowledging the Oxford's definition as the one connected with the ancestors of modern Chilvers."
How about this one received from Ian Chilvers who tells me that his Grandfather did some research into the family name and traced it back to Dutch engineers going by the name of "Schijlvers". They came over to England to build the Bedford Levels.
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