Contents [hide]

Ness History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Ness History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
England
Germany
Scotland
Ireland

Ness was first used as a surname by descendants of the Pictish people of ancient Scotland. The ancestors of the Ness family lived in any of a number of places called Ness, in Scotland and England. In this case, the surname Ness comes from the Old English word, ness, which means headland. Thus, the surname Ness means someone "from the headland." However, some references claim the name came from the Gaelic personal name Ness.

Early Origins of the Ness family

The surname Ness 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 Ness family

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

Ness Spelling Variations

Repeated and inaccurate translation of Scottish names from Gaelic to English and back resulted in a wide variety of spelling variations with single names. Ness has appeared Ness, Nesse, Nessan, Neeson and others.

Early Notables of the Ness family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was

Ness of Fife

Ness Ranking

In the United States, the name Ness is the 3,482^nd most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Ness family to Ireland

Some of the Ness 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.

Ness migration to the United States +

Many Scottish families suffered enormous hardships and were compelled to leave their country of birth. They traveled to Ireland and Australia, but mostly to the colonies of North America, where many found the freedom and opportunity they sought. It was not without a fight, though, as many were forced to stand up and defend their freedom in the American War of Independence. The ancestors of these Scots abroad have rediscovered their heritage in the last century through the Clan societies and other organizations that have sprung up across North America. Immigration and passenger ship lists show some important early immigrants bearing the name Ness:

Ness Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

An Cath. Ness, who settled in New York in 1710
Georg Wilhelm Ness, who settled in New York, NY sometime between 1710 and 1714
Ann Cath. Ness went to New York, NY in the fall of 1710 and was given aid by the British Government to survive her first winter there, a debt which she, among hundreds of others, did not repay
An Cath Ness, who arrived in New York, NY in 1710 2
Mathias Ness and his wife Maria Barbara settled in Philadelphia with their six sons in 1731
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Ness Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr. Heinrich Ness, aged 51, German labourer who arrived in New York in 1893 aboard the ship "Dania", heading to Iowa 3
Mrs. Anna Ness, aged 52, German settler who arrived in New York in 1893 aboard the ship "Dania", heading to Iowa 4
Miss Margarethe Ness, aged 10, German settler who arrived in New York in 1893 aboard the ship "Dania", heading to Iowa 5

Ness migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Ness Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mrs. Ann Ness U.E. who settled in Carleton, [Saint John West] New Brunswick c. 1784 6
Lieut. John Ness U.E. born in Yorkshire, England who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 he served in the Prince of Wales American Regiment, he died in 1799 6

Ness migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Ness Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

James Ness, aged 16, a moulder, who arrived in South Australia in 1859 aboard the ship "James Jardine"
Paul Ness, aged 15, a moulder, who arrived in South Australia in 1859 aboard the ship "James Jardine"
Angus Ness, aged 4, who arrived in South Australia in 1859 aboard the ship "James Jardine"
Hugh Ness, aged 9, who arrived in South Australia in 1859 aboard the ship "James Jardine"
Mrs. Janet Ness, aged 39, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1859 aboard the ship "James Jardine"
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Ness migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Ness Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mrs. Eliza Ness, (b. 1820), aged 38, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Indiana" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 28th November 1858 7
Mr. William Ness, (b. 1820), aged 38, British carpenter travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Indiana" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 28th November 1858 7
Miss Susan Ness, (b. 1849), aged 9, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Indiana" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 28th November 1858 7
Miss Mary Ness, (b. 1851), aged 7, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Indiana" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 28th November 1858 7
Miss Helen Ness, (b. 1854), aged 4, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Indiana" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 28th November 1858 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Ness (post 1700) +

Eliot Ness (1903-1957), American Prohibition agent, famous leader of a legendary team nicknamed "The Untouchables"
Norman Frederick Ness (1933-2023), American geophysicist who worked at the University of California, Los Angeles
Mike Ness (b. 1962), American guitarist and vocalist
Cornelius P. Van Ness (1782-1852), American lawyer and politician from Vermont
Albert Ness, American Artist
John Peter Van Ness (1770-1846), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Representative from New York 6th District, 1801-03; Mayor of Washington, District of Columbia, 1830-34 8
James Peter Van Ness (1808-1872), American politician, Mayor of San Francisco, California, 1855-56; Member of California State Senate, 1871 8
Jacob Van Ness, American politician, Postmaster at Poughkeepsie, New York, 1819-21 8
Hugh Van Ness, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for supervisor of Bedford Township, Monroe County, Michigan, 1940 8
Henry M. Van Ness, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Passaic County, 1847-48 8
... (Another 17 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Germans to America retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from Glazier, Ira. A., and Filby, P. William. Germans to America: Lists of Passengers Arriving at U.S. Ports. Vol. 62, Scholarly Resources Inc, 2062
Germans to America retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from Glazier, Ira. A., and Filby, P. William. Germans to America: Lists of Passengers Arriving at U.S. Ports. Vol. 62, Scholarly Resources Inc, 2063
Germans to America retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from Glazier, Ira. A., and Filby, P. William. Germans to America: Lists of Passengers Arriving at U.S. Ports. Vol. 62, Scholarly Resources Inc, 2064
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html