This interesting surname has two possible origins. Firstly, it may be an occupational name for a carver of wood or a sculptor of stone, deriving from the Olde English pre 7th Century "ceorfan" meaning to cut or carve. Secondly, it may derive from the Anglo-Norman French "caruier" meaning a ploughman and would be a job descriptive surname for one who ploughs land. Job descriptive surnames originally denoted the actual occupation and later became hereditary. The surname is first recorded in the early 13th Century (see below). One, Richard le Kerver, appears in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1275 and William Keruer, is noted in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327. On August 4th 1549, Elizabeth Carver married Stephen Roumfort at St. Lawrence Jewry and St. Mary Magdalene, Milk Street and Alice Carver married William Buckleye on February 10th 1559, at St. Nicholas Acons, London. A Coat of Arms granted to the Carver family depicts a gold fleur-de-lis on a black chevron, all on a black shield. On the Crest is a Saracen's head couped at the shoulders proper coming out of a gold ducal coronet. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Gerard le Carver, which was dated 1209, Feet of Fines of Essex, during the reign of King John, known as "Lackland", 1199 - 1216. 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.

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