Nevius Surname History

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Nevius is one of the thousands of new names that the Norman Conquest brought to England in 1066. The Nevius family lived in Durham. Their name, however, is a reference to Neuville, Sur Touques of Orne in the canton of Gacey, Normandy. "This family descended from Baldric Teutonicus, who with his brother Wiger came to Normandy c.900 to offer his service to the Duke. From him descend the families Neville, Courcy and others." 1

Early Origins of the Nevius family

The surname Nevius was first found in Durham where they claim descent from Gilbert de Nevil, the companion in arms of the William the Conqueror who many believe was the Duke's Admiral but there is no mention of him in the Domesday Book. 2

Another early record shows Ranulph de Nevill of Raby, Durham, being summoned to Parliament as a Baron on June 8, 1294. Ralph Neville (died 1244) served as Lord Chancellor of England, Bishop of Chichester and was Archbishop of Canterbury elect from 1231 to 1232.

Wargrave in Berkshire was home to another branch of the family. "The living is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at £13. 13. 6½., and in the gift of the lord of the manor and impropriator, Lord Braybrooke, to whose ancestor, Sir Henry Nevill, the Billingbear estates, and the hundred of Wargrave, anciently attached to the see of Winchester, were granted by Edward VI." 3

Another branch of the family was found at Dalton-Piercy in Durham. "In 1370, Henry, Lord Percy, sold this manor to Sir John Nevile, of Raby; and it remained with the descendants of that proprietor until the forfeiture by the family, since which time the lands have been divided." 3

"[Liversedge in the West Riding of Yorkshire] was anciently the property of the Neville family, lords of the manor, of whose mansion, Liversedge Hall, there are still some slight remains." 3

Early History of the Nevius family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nevius research. Another 259 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1100, 1200, 1364, 1379, 1385, 1388, 1397, 1425, 1426, 1428, 1431, 1461, 1470, 1471, 1615, 1620, 1625, 1631, 1651, 1655, 1661, 1668, 1675, 1676, 1680, 1681, 1685, 1692, 1694, 1697, 1712, 1717 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Nevius History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nevius Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Nevius are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Nevius include Neville, Navelle, Nevile, Nevil, Nevill and others.

Early Notables of the Nevius family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Richard Neville (1428-1471), who became the 16th Earl of Warwick, through his mother, a countess. He was known as the "Kingmaker" as he played a large role in putting Edward IV on the throne in 1461, deposing him in 1470, and then restoring Henry VI. His younger brother, John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu KG (1431-1471) was a major magnate of fifteenth-century England. Sir Thomas Nevill, 1st Baronet (c. 1625-1712), of Holt in Leicestershire, held a Baronetage of England created on 25 May 1661; Sir Edward Nevill, 1st Baronet (c. 1651-1685) of Grove...
Another 127 words (9 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Nevius Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nevius Ranking

In the United States, the name Nevius is the 14,527^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Nevius family to Ireland

Some of the Nevius family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nevius migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Nevius, or a variant listed above:

Nevius Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Johannes Nevius, who landed in New Netherland(s) in 1620-1664 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Nevius (post 1700) +

Sally B. Nevius, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from District of Columbia, 1972 6
Michael R. Nevius, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Somerset County, 1852 6
John A. Nevius, American Republican politician, Candidate for Delegate to U.S. Congress from the District of Columbia, 1971 6
James S. Nevius, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Somerset County, 1828-29 6
Henry Martin Nevius (1841-1911), American politician, Member of New Jersey State Senate from Monmouth County, 1888-90 6
George M. Nevius, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from New Fairfield; Elected 1906; Defeated, 1910 6
Clarissa Nevius, American Republican politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from New Fairfield, 1923-50 6

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html