Nes Surname History

Origins Available:
Netherlands
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Scotland
Ireland
England

In Scottish history, few names go farther back than Nes, whose ancestors lived among the clans of the Pictish tribe. They lived in any of a number of places called Ness, in Scotland and England. In this case, the surname Nes comes from the Old English word, ness, which means headland. Thus, the surname Nes means someone "from the headland." However, some references claim the name came from the Gaelic personal name Ness.

Early Origins of the Nes family

The surname Nes was first found in Fife, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Scotland to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Nes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nes research. Another 115 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1093, 1153, 1160, 1180, 1260 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Nes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nes Spelling Variations

The arts of spelling and translation were yet in their infancies when surnames began, so there are an enormous number of spelling variations of the names in early Scottish records. This is a particular problem with Scottish names because of the numerous times a name might have been loosely translated to English from Gaelic and back. Nes has been spelled Ness, Nesse, Nessan, Neeson and others.

Early Notables of the Nes family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was

Ness of Fife

Migration of the Nes family to Ireland

Some of the Nes family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nes migration to the United States +

This oppression forced many Scots to leave their homelands. Most of these chose North America as their destination. Although the journey left many sick and poor, these immigrants were welcomed the hardy with great opportunity. Many of these settlers stood up for their newfound freedom in the American War of Independence. More recently, Scots abroad have recovered much of their collective heritage through highland games and other patriotic functions and groups. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has located various settlers bearing the name Nes:

Nes Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Israel Nes, who arrived in America in 1620 1

Nes Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Nes, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1853 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Nes (post 1700) +

Henry Nes (1799-1850), American politician, Representative from Pennsylvania 15th District, 1843-45, 1847-50; Died in office 1850 2
Mary F. Van Nes, American politician, Candidate for Mayor of Yonkers, New York, 1961 3

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 18) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html