| ![Show Contents]() Nelder History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England The founding heritage of the Nelder family is in the Anglo-Saxon culture that once dominated in Britain. The name Nelder comes from when one of the family worked as a maker of needles. The surname Nelder is derived from the Old English word nædlere, which means needler. This is in turn derived from the Old English word nædl, which means needle. Early Origins of the Nelder familyThe surname Nelder was first found in county Shropshire, where this distinguished family held a family seat since ancient times. Early History of the Nelder familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nelder research. Another 207 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1221, 1235, 1273, 1309, 1313, 1320, 1327, 1362, 1420, 1563, 1616, 1620, 1667, 1685 and 1760 are included under the topic Early Nelder History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Nelder Spelling VariationsThe first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Nelder has been spelled many different ways, including Needle, Needles, Needell, Needdele, Nadal, Nadle, Needler, Nedler, Nedlere, Neelder, Nelder, Neldere, Nadler, Nadlere, Nayldor, Neilder, Needlemaker and many more. Early Notables of the Nelder familyMore information is included under the topic Early Nelder Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Nelder familyThousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Nelders to arrive in North America: John Needler, who settled in Virginia in 1679; Benjamin Needler, who arrived in Virginia in 1741; Joseph Needle, age 40; who settled in Philadelphia in 1753.
| Contemporary Notables of the name Nelder (post 1700) | + |
- Geoff Nelder, British freelance editor and author
- John Ashworth Nelder FRS (1924-2010), British statistician who co-developed the Nelder-Mead algorithm, Fellow of the Royal Society (1976), awarded the Guy Medal (Silver, 1977) (Gold, 2005)
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