Deaver
A surname with a likely Irish origin, often explained as a form linked to a word meaning “dark” or “black.”
The #7,080 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 65,288 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The only provided historical note links Deaver to an Irish form, "Duibir," explained as coming from a root meaning "black" plus a word for "man," giving the sense "dark-complexioned man." That is a plausible old Gaelic-style explanation, but the excerpt is brief and may reflect 19th-century speculative etymology rather than a fully secure derivation. In English-speaking records, Deaver can also appear as a surname shaped by spelling variation, so the exact path to the modern form is not certain.
History
Deaver is now found mainly in the United States, where it appears to have been established through earlier British or Irish immigration and later spelling stabilization. Because the supplied source gives only a passing mention, there is not enough evidence here to trace a single definitive family line or to identify a well-known historical bearer from the excerpt alone.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The old explanation in the excerpt treats the name as a physical nickname, essentially meaning someone with dark coloring.
From the historical record
“names. Deaver. Originally Duibir, from dub, black ; ir, man. A dark-complexioned man. . Deegan. De, of God; gan, an offspring. Son of God. Degan has the same signification.”
— Family Names from the Irish, Anglo-Saxon, Anglo-Norman and Scotch