Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Beverly

Beverly is a slight modification of Beverley, the transferred use of an English surname derived from a place name, so-called Beverley in East Yorkshire, England. The town was settled within the early Anglican Kingdom of Northumbria in the 7th century; it was essentially established through the construction of a Church erected by the Bishop of York who came to be known as John of Beverley. The town’s name, Beverley, is derived from the Old Anglo-Saxon words “beofor” meaning “beaver” and “lacu” meaning “lake, stream, creek;” obviously named for a beaver infested body of water nearby. Given St. John of Beverley’s growing cult (thanks to the miracles he purportedly performed) and the many pilgrimages to the region, the town expanded considerably by the 10th century. The first written record of Beverley, England was rendered as “Beverlacum” in the 11th century and later as “Beverli” in the Domesday Book of 1086. The surname Beverley would have either been assigned to the lord of the manor or folks who originally hailed from Beverley yet later relocated to another part of England (as a common means of identification). The surname “Beverli” first appeared in writing in the 12th century. Today in the United States, however, Beverly is more commonly associated with swanky Beverly Hills, the wealthy, star-studded town of Los Angeles County. Incidentally, Beverly Hills was named after Beverly, Massachusetts, a town established in 1668 and named after – you guessed it – Beverley, England.

All About the Baby Name – Beverly

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME BEVERLY

The number Eight personality has everything to do with power, wealth and abundance. Somehow, this personality has been blessed on the material plane, but their authoritative and problem-solving traits provide evidence that their good fortunes are not just the luck of the lottery. They are well earned. This is the personality of CEOs and high-ranking military personnel. Eights are intensely active, hard-driving individuals. Success is only meaningful to them after a job well-done.  They are remarkable in their ability to see the larger picture right down to the smallest details, and organize a strategy around success. They then have the ability to direct a group around them toward any goal, and realize individual potential to get the most out of their team.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME BEVERLY

Beverly first appeared on the U.S. female naming charts in 1905. No coincidence, the previous year (1904) American author George Barr McCutcheon published “Beverly of Graustark”, the second novel in his popular “Graustark” series. In the book, Beverly is the captivating American woman with whom Prince Denton of Dawsbergen falls in love. Readers took to the name, and Beverly appeared on the American female naming charts for the first time in history. Not only that, but she caught on quickly as she ascended the charts. A film adaptation was made of McCutcheon’s novel in 1926 starring Marion Davies as Beverly. After that, Beverly would claim Top 100 status in the nation for the next nearly forty consecutive years (1926-1964). Her pinnacle achievement came in 1937 when Beverly was the 14th most popular baby girl’s name nationwide. By the 1970s, however, it became clear that Beverly was falling from fashionable use – and those drops became more pronounced in the 1990s. In fact, 1999 is the last year Beverly could be found on America’s Top 1000 list. So far the 21st century has not welcomed her back (only 123 baby girls were named Beverly in 2012). Still we find this eager little “beaver” quite charming!

Quick Facts

ON BEVERLY

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

English

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

3

RANKING POPULARITY:

N/A

PRONUNCIATION:

BEV-er-lee

SIMPLE MEANING:

Beaver Lake

Characteristics

OF BEVERLY

Authoritative

Powerful

Tough

Tenacious

Wealthy

Problem-solver

Achiever

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Beverly

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME BEVERLY

Beverly of Graustark is the title character of George Barr McCutcheon’s 1904 novel, Beverly of Graustark, which was also made into a 1926 film of the same name, starring silent film star Marion Davies. One of a series of books set in the fictional Balkan country of Graustark, the plot takes the American Beverly Calhoun on a fantastical voyage abroad to Graustark, during which time she is involved in civil wars, kidnappings, identity disguises, and the inevitable falling in love. This is a tale full of swashbuckling derring-do, complete with enough roguery and romance to suit the tastes of the day. Beverly proves herself to be a plucky heroine with the American know-how to manage to circumvent disaster and enough of the Southern belle to “catch her man”. The man in question is Prince Dantan, her veritable match in the field of romance, and they live (mostly) happily (mostly) ever after. The original edition had illustrations by Harrison Fisher, and his depiction of Beverly is exactly as we want her to seem – the demure looking damsel façade barely hiding the adventurous tomboy lurking within.

Abram's Daughters introduces readers to an Old Order family, a close-knit community and a devout people whose way of life and faith in God is as timeless as their signature horse and buggy. Set against the backdrop of post-World War II, this compelling saga spans three generations of a Lancaster County Amish family. Abram Ebersol and his devoted wife are raising four courting-age daughters on a firm foundation of Plain tradition, and they expect their girls to carry on that heritage by joining the church and making a covenant with God. But the "running-around" years known as rumschpringe are often a time of sowing wild oats. Each of Abram's daughters, choosing her own path, must come to terms with the Old Ways of thinking and living. And sometimes that path has detours and forks in the road with unknown destinations...

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME BEVERLY

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Beverly


Popular Songs

ON BEVERLY

Beverly
a song by Bobbie Gentry

Famous People

NAMED BEVERLY

Beverly Sills (opera singer)
Beverly Cleary (author)
Beverly D'Angelo (actress)
Beverly Garland (actress)

Children of Famous People

NAMED BEVERLY

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Beverly

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME BEVERLY

More information forthcoming!