Beaver Family History

English (of Norman origin): habitational name from any of several places in France called Beauvoir, for example in Manche, Somme, and Seine-Maritime, or from Belvoir in Leicestershire. All of these are named with Old French beu, bel ‘fair’, ‘lovely’ + veïr, voir ‘to see’, i.e. a place with a fine view. English: nickname from Middle English bevere, Old English beofor ‘beaver’, possibly referring to a hard worker, or from some other fancied resemblance to the animal. The existence of patronymic forms such as Beaverson suggest that this may also have been a personal name. Probably a translation of cognates of 2 in other languages, in particular Dutch Bever and German Bieber. Possibly a variant of Welsh Bevan.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press