Nevins
A patronymic surname meaning “son of Nevin,” with Nevin itself an old personal name of uncertain origin.
The #6,688 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 61,114 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Nevins is generally understood as a patronymic form of Nevin, with the final -s meaning “son of” in English surname formation. The deeper origin of Nevin is less certain: 19th-century surname scholars often treated it as an old, now largely lost personal name rather than a transparent word. In Irish contexts, Nevins is also associated with Anglicized forms of Gaelic names such as Mac Criomhthainn/Mac Nevin-type forms in older scholarship, so some bearers may have different local origins.
History
The name appears in English and Irish records, and historical surname writers often grouped Nevins with Nevin and Nevinson as related forms. In England it was sometimes explained as descending from a forgotten medieval given name; in Ireland it was also treated as an Anglicized surname with Gaelic roots. The spelling Nevins became established as a stable family name, especially in later record-keeping.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Some 19th-century authors even glossed Nevins as meaning “the son of Nevin,” which is one reason it is often filed with other Nevin- surnames.
From the historical record
“A.-F;-, dim. suff. -in. NEVINS Nevin's (Son) NEVINSON 1 jj , soj, \ V. Nevin. NEVISON j^^^v""^^"" 1 1 for Knevett, Knyvett, q.v. NEW (Eng.) the New (-Comer) [M.E. '«OTe,”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)