There are two possible origins for this name. The first being an Anglicized variant of the Dutch Huguenot 'Poville' - a name recorded heraldically in Rietstap's Armorial General for the Netherlands, the Coat of Arms being a gold chevron between three silver crosses on a blue field. The blazon signifies loyalty to the state, in this case Brabant, a part of the Dutch Federation. A second possible origin is as a variant of Powell, although this is not proven. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Johannes Poville which was dated Circa 1680 in the Province of Brabant, Netherlands during the reign of King William 111 of Orange and England 1650 - 1704 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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