Seaver
Usually an English nickname surname from Old French and Middle English severe, meaning “grave” or “austere,” though some writers have also connected it with a sieve-maker.
The #9,603 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 91,237 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The most likely origin is from a nickname based on Middle English severe, from Old French severe, meaning stern, grave, or austere in manner. That would make Seaver a descriptive surname for someone thought to be serious or strict. A minority explanation in older surname literature connects it with a maker or seller of sieves, but that is less secure and seems to be offered more tentatively.
History
Early records cited by surname scholars show spellings such as Sever and Seaver in medieval and early modern England. The name appears in English records by the 13th century and later spread to North America. In modern usage it is relatively uncommon, with several American branches retaining the spelling Seaver alongside related forms like Sever and Seavern.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The name has long been treated as a close cousin of Sever, and one of the oldest recorded bearers appears in 13th-century English records.
From the historical record
“Roll, 5 Ric. II (Suffolk). Severe, Sever, Seaver. — Nick. * the severe,* i.e. the grave, the austere in manner and de- meanour. {ohn le Severe, co. Hunts, 1273. A.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)