Dive

Recorded as Dive, Dives, Diver and Divers, this is an English surname. Despite its appearance it has little or nothing to do with swimmming or diving. It is ultimately Norman-French, and as such locational from a village called Dives in the departement of Calvados, in the former dukedom of Normandy. First recorded in the famous Domesday Book of England in the year 1086, the first known namebearer was a prominent follower of William, duke of Normany, and known to history as "The Conqueror". This first name holder apparently known as Roselinus de Dives was granted estate lands in the county of Cambridgeshire, England, and his descendants were well recorded in the surrounding area for several centuries thereafter. These early recordings include those of William de Dyves or de Dyve, who in the year 1242 appears in the Tax Fines rolls of the county of Oxfordshire, whilst Guido de Dive is recorded in the same county in 1272. Later examples are those of Thomas Dives, the son of Simon Dives, who was baptised at St.Dionis Back Church, in the city of London in 1641, whilst the following year Joane, the daughter of Richard Dive was buried at St Thomas the Apostle also in the city of London. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.