Purves Coat of Arms and Surname Origin

Anyone researching Purves should also look under Purvis. The name is generally explained as “purveyor of provisions”. Only a small detail separates the spellings: Purves has “e” where Purvis has “i”. Spellings drifted because names were written down by ear in parish books, tax rolls and passenger lists. You may also find the name written Purvess.

The Census Bureau's 2010 surname file lists Purves with 587 bearers, at rank 37,848. That puts it inside the top 50,000 US surnames.

Looking for a Purves coat of arms? Arms were granted to families, not to surnames, and our research shows which heraldic tradition fits yours. Get the complete Purves report, with a museum-style coat of arms.