Pyvis

This is a very rare and unusual name, so rare that almost uniquely, it is not found in the modern London Street Directory. However this was not the case in the Mid 16th Century (see below). The name "Pyvis" is a variant spelling and probably a developed form of the ancient given name "Pius or Pyuv". It was originally a nickname surname for one who may have been very religious or more likely given medieval humour, the complete opposite. Eitherway the name in England fell into disuse after the introduction of protestantism, "Pius" being particularly associated with "Popery". The name would seem to have been affected by localised dialect the "link" spellings from the original "Pyves" including Edward Piveash who married Mary Allingham at Shoreham, Kent on November 17th, 1799 and Thomas Pyus who married Eleanor Dukes at St. James Church, Westminster on July 13th 1813, he was possibly of French Huguenot origins. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Thomas Pyves, which was dated February 3rd 1558, married Elyzabeth Pwe at Christchurch, Greyfriars, London, during the reign of Queen Mary, nicknamed "Blood Mary", 1554 - 1558. 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.