Show ContentsNetterville History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Netterville family

The surname Netterville was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, [1] indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Nesfield, held by William de Percy, Earl of Northumberland, one the great northern Barons who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086.

Early History of the Netterville family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Netterville research. Another 52 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1345, 1381, 1603 and 1659 are included under the topic Early Netterville History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Netterville Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Netterville include Nesfield, Nessfield, Nefield, Neefield, Nerfield, Netherfield, Netherfold and many more.

Early Notables of the Netterville family

More information is included under the topic Early Netterville Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Netterville migration to the United States +

In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Nettervilles to arrive on North American shores:

Netterville Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Thomas Netterville, aged 34, who arrived in New York in 1804 [2]

New Zealand Netterville 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:

Netterville Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Jane Netterville, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Owen Glendowner" in 1864

Contemporary Notables of the name Netterville (post 1700) +

  • Loretta Netterville, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from North Dakota, 1996 [3]


  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. 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)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 18) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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