This rare and interesting name is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is a metonymic occupational surname, with the possible interpretations, derived from the Olde English pre 7th Century word "teafor", minium, red lead, a red colouring matter used especially for marking sheep; the Middle English development was "tiver", tyver". The surname may first have been occupational for one who produced and supplied the red lead, and secondly for one who was employed to mark sheep with that material. A number of English placenames contain "teafor", as their first element, such as Tiverton in Cheshire, recorded as "Tevretone" in the Domesday book of 1086, and Taverham in Norfolk, "Tavresham" in Domesday. Tevershall in Northamptonshire, and Teversham in Cambridgeshire have the Olde English "tefrere", painter, sheep-marker, as their first element, and are recorded as "Tyversolde" (1280), and "Tevresham" (1198) respectively. The surname from this source has a number of variant forms, ranging from Teaver(s), Tiver(s) and Tivis, to Tivie(s), Tivey, Tever(s) and Tyver(s); the forms with "s" are patronymics, showing a reduced form of "son of". In Hampshire, the christenings of Charles Cleveland Carter and George Gideon Gustavus, sons of George Tivers, were recorded at the Church of St. Maurice, Winchester, on January 4th 1814. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William Tevis, which was dated February 7th 1543, marriage to Johane Tyrlynge, Colyton, Devonshire, during the reign of King Henry V111, known as "Bluff King Hal", 1509 - 1547. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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