Eberhardt, Evert Surname

Evert
North German and Dutch: reduced form of the personal name Eberhardt.
Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4

Dutch Origin:
Spelling variations of this family name include: Everts, Evertsen, Everswyn, Eversteyn, Evertmann, Evart, Evert, Evermann, Everdt, Everds and many more.

First found in Holland, where the name became noted for its many branches in the region, each house acquiring a status and influence which was envied by the princes of the region. The name was first recorded in South Holland, a province of Holland, the most crowded province of the Netherlands. The principal cities are Rotterdam, Leyden and Shiedam. Noted is the famed castle of Teilengen where Jacqueline of Bavaria is buried. In their later history the surname became a power unto themselves and were elevated to the ranks of nobility as they grew into this most influential family.

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Elise Everts, who settled in America in 1645; Jan Evertsen, who arrived in Delaware in 1661; Annetje Hendricks Evertsen, who arrived in New Netherland in 1662.
Scottish Origin
The annals of Scottish history reveal that Evert was first used as a name by ancestors of the Pictish tribe of ancient Scotland. The Evert family lived on the lands of Eviot in Angus where the family has a long and distinguished history dating back to the early Middle Ages.

Before the first dictionaries appeared in the last few hundred years, scribes spelled according to sound. Spelling variations are common among Scottish names. Evert has been spelled Eviot, Eviott, Evett, Evyot, Evyott, Evyotte and many more.

First found in Perthshire, where they were seated from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

In those unstable times, many had no choice but to leave their beloved homelands. Sickness and poverty hounded travelers to North America, but those who made it were welcomed with land and opportunity. These settlers gave the young nations of Canada and the United States a strong backbone as they stood up for their beliefs as United Empire Loyalists and in the American War of Independence. In this century, the ancestors of these brave Scots have begun to recover their illustrious heritage through clan societies and other heritage organizations. Early passenger and immigration lists reveal many Scottish settlers bearing the name Evert: John Evit who settled in Philadelphia in 1673; Arthur Evitt settled in Nevis in 1654; Ann Evitt and Elizabeth settled in New England in 1806; Stephen Evitt settled in Philadelphia in 1836.
Eberhardt
German: from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements eber ‘wild boar’ (Old High German, Old Saxon ebur) + hard ‘brave’, ‘hardy’, ‘strong’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4

The surname Eberhardt is derived from the given name Eberhard, making this a patronymic surname. Patronymic surnames were a type of hereditary surname, and they arose out of the vernacular and religious given name traditions. The vernacular or regional naming tradition is the oldest and most pervasive type of patronymic surname. According to this custom, names were originally composed of vocabulary elements from the local language. Vernacular names that were derived from ancient Germanic personal names have cognates in most European languages. For example, the court of Charlemagne was Christian and Latin-speaking, but the Frankish dialect of Old German was commonly used for personal names. Vernacular names were also widespread in Germany. As a result, many typical English and French names are of Germanic origin and have cognates in other European languages. Two early examples of the given name Eberhard are Eberhard I and Eberhard II, two successive Dukes of Württemberg.

Spelling variations of this family name include: Eberhard, Eberhardt, Eberheart, Eberhart, Ebberhard, Ebberhardt, Ebberhart, Eberhurt, Ebberhurt, Aeberhard and many more.

First found in Wuerttemberg, where the name became noted for its many branches with the region, each house acquiring a status and influence which was envied by the princes of the region. The name Eberhard was associated with the two dukes of Wuerttemberg, Eberhard I and his brother Eberhard II. In its later history the name became a power unto itself and was elevated to the ranks of nobility as they grew into this most influential family.

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Franz Eberhard, age 28; who settled in Canada in 1783; Barbara Eberhard, age 30; settled in Philadelphia in 1735; Johan Eberhard, age 25; settled in Frederickstown, Pa. in 1778.