Disclaimer : Dec 2022 – Since writing this, actually just a couple of weeks after news broke that Aaron Paul was petitioning to change his name to remove his ‘birth’ surname and officially become a Paul, along with members of his family. That petition was approved and so just to be clear, this article is now about his former surname!
We all have surnames, at least the majority of the world does. That important family name that determines how long you have to wait when school register is called, but also is the key link to your ancestors, those distant relatives that came many years before you. Sturtevant is Aaron Paul’s birth surname, so let’s take a closer look into this.
In the entertainment and sporting industry there can sometimes be a need to change your name, the most common reason is to reduce confusion if another entertainer shares your name. Michael Douglas for example is a mainstay in Hollywood, with many great credits to his name but did you know Micheal Keaton is also called Michael Douglas by birth? It’s clear, with his own success, why a name change was necessary. Just how confusing would it have been to have two Micheal Douglas’s making movies in the 80’s & 90’s and beyond?
Aaron Paul is another example, although the slight change in name wasn’t due to another actor. To our knowledge there is no other Aaron Sturtevant in the business, the reason given in this case is a little more simpler – casting directors were struggling with STURTEVANT, I’m guessing both in spelling and pronounciation.
Not much else to our knowledge has been spoken about this change for AP, and the decision to drop the family name. I’m sure it wasn’t done lightly, a surname can be a major part of your identity, how people know you. Surnames can equally be a hindrance, how many children of famous parents chose to either drop their surname or opt for another when seeking their own success?
There is no doubt that taking his middle name to be his ‘stage’ surname was a wise decision, it’s an easy name to spell, to say and importantly to remember! The name really suits Aaron, and he’s embraced it fully into his life so much so his wife even opted to use it after they got married for her own online identities, so strong the link to Aaron by that stage. It has become such a strong identifier to AP that I’m sure there are many people who don’t even realise his real birth surname isn’t actually ‘Paul’.
Sturtevant – a closer look
Today, as I write this, is Aaron Paul Sturtevant Day in Idaho – October 1st. Back in 2013 this was decreed. It seemed apt that on this day, that uses Aaron’s full birth name, that we take a closer look at his lesser known family surname.
Sturtevant is Dutch in origin, first recorded in Friesland, Holland but it is now most prevalant in the United States. There is an estimated 2,500-2800 people bearing the surname, making it somewhere between the 9100th and 11400th most popular name!
The earliest recorded Sturtevants in the USA were recorded in 1642, a Samuel and Mary Sturtevant who settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts. There are also notible instances of the surname existing in England – mainly in Lancashire and Nottinghamshire, with the latter branch of the name moving into London and the South of England.
The definition of Sturtevant apparently is a nickname for a hasty individual, taken from the Middle English words ‘stert(en)’ – ‘to start or leap’ + Anglo-Norman French avaunt ‘forward’. The name was rendered in medieval documents in the Latin form AB (away) + ANTE (in front). A nickname that was given to a messenger or pursuivant, the surname literally meaning “start forward.”
The name has many variant spellings which include STURDEVANT, STURTAVANT and STURTERVANT.
The Family Crest
Whilst researching the Sturtevant surname origins I couldn’t miss seeing a few different designs of family crests, all random and different and often attaching a fee to ‘own’. It initially felt like a nice thing to add to this post, a crest, it suggests nobility and history – right? But also a scam to get money for something someone probably just knocked together with little sense or meaning to the true ancestry of the family name.
That got me thinking… what would a crest look like for Aaron Paul Sturtevant’s family?
I got my crayons out and started to give it some thought – for the rest of this post just bear with me, I may have got carried away for a couple of hours but it was a fun couple of hours, humour me here…
I reveal to you now my own design on an Aaron Paul Sturtevant Family Crest – ta dah! (see below for updated version!)
The Explaination – because believe it or not some thought went into this lol!
The title – Clearly has the family name of STURTEVANT, but also in the background PAUL to reflect the two identities as one.
The Shield – Yellow is the dominant colour to symbolise the Emmy’s that have marked AP’s career and solidified his success. The three stars mark the three Emmy wins.
The Black Chevron – Black is a note to what AP has stated to be his favourite colour, the chevron pointing up symbolises his careers success in reaching the top/rising high.
The Left side – Symbolises career – reflecting his choice to be an actor/in the arts, with a little nod to BrBa. It also notes his success in the drinks business with Dos Hombres.
The Right side – Symbolises family, with two images that represent his children that symbolises his love with Lauren – a (story) book and a rider, both of which can offer meanings to the names of his amazing kids.
The bottom section – I made a personal choice to include a mythical creature known as a COCKATRICE – a cross between a cockerel and a dragon. I enjoyed the instagram chicken stories so much (there’s even a post dedicated to it) so a cockerel seemed appropriate and come on, who doesn’t like dragons? It’s just a bonus that the two are mixed together, and even better legend states this creature is born from a snake – another appropriate connection to AP with is past ownership of snakes. (Should also note it can be from a snake ‘or a toad’ but I can’t stretch it that far to think of any toady connections, so we’ll settle for just a snake!)
Also in the bottom section – the Dos Hombres donkeys – I mean, if any animal rightfully belongs in the random animals part of a crest, then these guys have every right – a sign also of his precious friendship with Bryan Cranston, whom as godfather of AP’s son, is now pretty much officially part of the family so it’s only right to be on the crest.
And that, if you’re still reading this (well done if you are) is how I created my own take on a family crest for Aaron Paul’s incredible family. It’s the first time I’ve ever done this, likely to be the last, so I hope you like it.
ADDITIONAL: in light of Aaron Paul changing his name to Aaron Paul (see note above) I have adjusted the family crest to reflect this.
