Nute History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Nute has a rich and ancient history. It is an Anglo-Saxon name that was originally derived from Cnute, a popular name in England in the early Middle Ages. It was popular thanks to the influence of Cnut, a Dane, who became King of England in 1016. "There are two Cnuts in Domesday, one in Yorkshire, the other in Derbyshire." 1

Alternatively, it may be of nickname origin, from the Old English word hnutu, which meant brown, and would have been given to someone with a brown complexion. It may be that this is the origin of the English saying "Brown as a nut," used for someone who has spent a lot of time in the sun.

Early Origins of the Nute family

The surname Nute was first found in Gloucestershire 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 Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Nute family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nute research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1550, 1576, 1577, 1600, 1605, 1612, 1620, 1623, 1640, 1653, 1656, 1660, 1668, 1716, 1722 and 1987 are included under the topic Early Nute History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nute Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Nute include Nutt, Nudd, Nutting, Knutt, Nuttman, Nutter and others.

Early Notables of the Nute family

Distinguished members of the family include John Nutt (1605-1668), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1653; and John Nutt (fl. 1620-1623), English pirate born in Devon who raided the Newfoundland and western England for three years before his capture by Sir John Eliot in 1623. His arrest and conviction caused a scandal in the English court as Nutt had paid Eliot £500 in exchange for a pardon. He was eventually released by the Secretary of State George Calvert. He arrived at Torbay Newfoundland in 1620 aboard the ship Dartmouth in 1620, but soon organized...
Another 204 words (15 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Nute Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Nute family to Ireland

Some of the Nute family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nute migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Nute Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

James Nute, who landed in New England in 1632 2
Tho Nute, who arrived in Virginia in 1637 2
Winifred Nute, who landed in Virginia in 1637 2

Nute 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:

Nute Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Beatrice A. Nute, (b. 1874), aged 3, Cornish settler departing on 26th September 1877 aboard the ship "Opawa" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 3rd January 1878 3
Mr. Henry Nute, (b. 1847), aged 30, Cornish farm labourer departing on 26th September 1877 aboard the ship "Opawa" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 3rd January 1878 3
Mrs. Mary Ann Nute, (b. 1853), aged 24, Cornish settler departing on 26th September 1877 aboard the ship "Opawa" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 3rd January 1878 3
Mr. Robert Hy Nute, (b. 1872), aged 5, Cornish settler departing on 26th September 1877 aboard the ship "Opawa" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 3rd January 1878 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Nute (post 1700) +

John H. Nute, American politician, Member of New Hampshire State Senate 23rd District, 1889-90 4
Helen Nute (1898-1994), American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Hampshire, 1972 4
Eugene F. Nute, American politician, Delegate to New Hampshire State Constitutional Convention from Farmington, 1956 4
Benjamin Nute, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Wisconsin State Assembly, 1849 4
Alonzo Nute (1826-1892), American Republican politician, Member of New Hampshire State Senate 5th District, 1867-69; U.S. Representative from New Hampshire 1st District, 1889-91 4
Alonzo Nute (1826-1892), American politician, United States Representative from New Hampshire (1889-1891), Member of the New Hampshire Senate (1867-1868)
Robert Nute Sawyer (b. 1911), American Republican politician, Member of Michigan State House of Representatives from Monroe County, 1939-42; Monroe County Prosecuting Attorney, 1949-54 5

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to Lyttelton 1858-84 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, May 18) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html