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Newcomb History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Newcomb History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Newcomb is a name of Anglo-Saxon origin. It was a name given to a new person in town; a person who had just arrived to live in the area. The name Newcomb is derived from the Old English elements niwe, which means new, and cumen, which means come. The name is therefore transliterated as "newly come." Nickname surnames were frequently the result of a spontaneous reaction to a particular occasion or event. 1

Early Origins of the Newcomb family

The surname Newcomb was first found in Lincolnshire where Alan le Neucument was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1175. In Durham, William Neucum was listed at Boldon in 1183 and Walter le Neucumen was a Knights Templar in Lincolnshire in 1185. Again in Lincolnshire, Richard Newecwne was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1195. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Gilbert le Neucum, Lincolnshire; Gilbert le Neucomen, Lincolnshire; and Robert Neucomen, Lincolnshire. To the north in Yorkshire, Ricardus Newcomen was registered there in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 3

"Newcombe is an old Devonshire name. Richard Newcomb was twice mayor of Barnstaple in the reign of Henry VI. (G.). In the 16th and 17th centuries, a gentle family of Newcombe resided at Great Worthy, in Teignton - Drew. The name was well known in Exeter from the 16th to the 18th century, and Newcomb was the name of the Exeter mayors of 1612, 1703, and 1713. Ashburton also possessed a family of the name in the 16th century, Newcombe being the name of the Ashburton churchwardens of 1550 and 1569. The name still survives in Exeter and Barnstaple." 4

We found this interesting passage: "Somewhere about the year 1670, there was born in Dartmouth a man who did more to lay the foundations of the present manufacturing greatness of the kingdom, and to advance the progress of industrial operations throughout the world, than any other who can be named. This was Thomas Newcomin, the inventor of the first practical working steam-engine, upon which, after it had been many years in useful operation, the work of James Watt was based. Newcomin, with whom was associated another Dartmouth man, named Cawley, perfected his engine in 1705. Hardly anything is known of him except that he was a locksmith and ironmonger, and that he died in 1729. The date of his birth is quite uncertain, but no doubt has ever been thrown upon his being a Dartmouth worthy. The house in which he lived was pulled down a few years since, and the materials worked into a house called ' Newcomin Cottage.' West-Countrymen are proud of the fact that to Newcomin the world owes the stationary steam-engine, and to Trevithick, of Hayle, in Cornwall, the locomotive. Newcomin's engine was a perfectly new machine, though it had to a certain extent a predecessor in the ingenious device of Savery of Shilston ; and Trevithick's engine was the first that proved the practicability of steam locomotion on railroads." 5

Early History of the Newcomb family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Newcomb research. Another 57 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1610, 1627, 1669 and 1695 are included under the topic Early Newcomb History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Newcomb Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Newcomb were recorded, including Newcombe, Newcom, Newcomb, Newcome, Newcomen and others.

Early Notables of the Newcomb family

Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Newcomb Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Newcomb Ranking

In the United States, the name Newcomb is the 2,090^th most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Newcomb family to Ireland

Some of the Newcomb family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Newcomb migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Newcomb family emigrate to North America:

Newcomb Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Andrew Newcomb, who settled in Maine in 1630
Francis Newcomb, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1635 7
Arthur Newcomb, who arrived in Virginia in 1653 7
Eliz Newcomb, who arrived in Virginia in 1663 7

Newcomb Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Edmd Newcomb, who landed in Virginia in 1702 7
Mary Newcomb, who landed in Virginia in 1702 7
Richard Newcomb, who settled in Salem Massachusetts in 1704 with his wife Mary

Newcomb Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Newcomb, who landed in America in 1806 7
John Newcomb, aged 33, who arrived in Maine in 1812 7
R Newcomb, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 7
S S Newcomb, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 7

Newcomb migration to Australia +

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

Newcomb Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Newcomb, British Convict who was convicted in London, England for life, transported aboard the "Earl St Vincent" on 6th April 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
Mr. Charles Newcomb, English convict who was convicted in London, England for life, transported aboard the "Emma Eugenia" on 2nd November 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9

Contemporary Notables of the name Newcomb (post 1700) +

George Newcomb (1866-1895), American outlaw of the Old West, and member of the Wild Bunch gang
Frank Hamilton Newcomb (1846-1934), American Commodore in the United States Revenue Cutter Service
Harvey Newcomb (1803-1863), American clergyman and writer
Rexford Newcomb (1886-1968), American academician, architect, and author
Daniel Newcomb (b. 1800), American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Oregon State Constitutional Convention from Jackson County, 1857 10
Daniel Newcomb, American politician, Justice of New Hampshire State Supreme Court, 1796-98; Member of New Hampshire State Senate, 1800, 1805-06 10
Cordial Newcomb, American politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Tolland, 1824, 1826, 1835 10
Charles S. Newcomb, American politician, Mayor of Torrington, Connecticut, 1926-29 10
Carol Newcomb, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Idaho, 1988 10
Carman Adam Newcomb (1830-1902), American Republican politician, Fayette County Circuit Judge, 1855-60; Member of Missouri State House of Representatives, 1865-66; U.S. Representative from Missouri 2nd District, 1867-69 10
... (Another 27 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
"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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-st-vincent
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th March 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emma-eugenia
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html