Pickavance  Pickavance is an English surname. The name has been recorded in several spelling forms including Pickance, Pickavance, Pickvance and Pickavant and has pre-medieval origins. It derives from the French phrase 'pricke avant' meaning to spur on, and as such was probably a metonymic or nickname for a messenger or herald, one who was in advance of the main army. Early examples of the surname recording include:  The first recorded spelling of the family name is believed to be that of William Prickeavant, dated 1273, in the Pipe rolls of the county of Bedfordshire, during the reign of Edward I. The name may refer to:  People: