In earlier ages, civil statusregistrations were based on phonetics. In most cases, our forebears could neither write nor read and couldn’t possibly control their name’s spelling. It thus frequently happens that the family name borne by people belonging to the same lineage is spelled in different ways:
Canivet, Canivez, Cannivet, Cannivez, Canive, Cannive
Canevit, Canaevit
Cannevet, Canevet, Canevel , Kerganivet
Canivait, Canivee, Canivenq, Canivenc, Canives
Canivett, Canivetz, Canivezt
Ganiffet, Ganivet, Gannivet, Guenivet
Kanive, Kennive
Quennivet, Quanivez, Quenive, Quenivest, Quenivet
Some name distortions also happened as a consequence of immigration; Canaevit, Canevit or Canavit can be found in the USA, Canaways in the UK and Australia. The most widespread spelling remains “Canivet”.
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