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Beverly (name)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Beverly or Beverley is an English surname, which was in turn taken from the place name Beverley. The place name derives from Old English, combining befer ("beaver") and lēah ("clearing').[citation needed]

Beverly
GenderUnisex
Language(s)English
Origin
Language(s)Old English
Word/nameCombination of befer and lēah
Meaning"beaver" + "clearing"
Region of originEngland
Other names
Variant form(s)Beverley
Short form(s)Bev
Related namesEverly, Waverly, Kimberly

It is also a given name. It is sometimes shortened to Bev. It was at one time a common masculine given name, but is now almost exclusively a feminine name due to the popularity of a 1904 novel, Beverly of Graustark by George Barr McCutcheon.[1] Its association with Beverly Hills, California, where many well known film actors live, might also have contributed to its usage in the United States.[2]

Usage

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The name ranked among the 1,000 most popular names for newborn girls in the United States between 1905 and 1999 and was among the top 100 names for American girls between 1926 and 1964. It was at the peak of its popularity in 1937, when it was the 14th most popular name for newborn girls. It was also among the 1,000 most popular names for American boys at different points between 1880 and 1954.

It was among the top 100 names for newborn girls in Canada between 1929 and 1963, and among the top 100 names for newborn girls in New Zealand between 1930 and 1953.[3] As of 2024 the name is again increasing in usage, influenced by the popularity of similar sounding names such as Everly and Bellamy.[4]

People with the name

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Notable people with the name Beverly or Beverley include:

Given name

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Surname

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Beverly

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Beverley

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Fictional characters

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References

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  1. ^ Stewart, George R. (1979). American Given Names: Their Origin and History in the Context of the English Language. Oxford University Press. p. 69. ISBN 9780195024654.
  2. ^ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. p. 34. ISBN 0-19-861060-2.
  3. ^ Campbell, Mike. "Beverly". behindthename.com. Behind the Name. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  4. ^ "The Top Names We're Watching for 2024". Nameberry. Retrieved 29 November 2023.