Knyvet History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Today's generation of the Knyvet family bears a name that was brought to England by the migration wave that was started by the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Knyvet family lived in Kniveton, which is a parish in Derbyshire near Ashbourn. The name is pronounced Nifton.

Early Origins of the Knyvet family

The surname Knyvet was first found in Derbyshire at Kniveton, a parish, in the hundred of Wirksworth where "the manor of 'Cheniveton,' so called in the Domesday Survey, was from a very early period the property of the Kniveton family. " 1

"The extinct Baronet family descended from Sir Matthew de Knivetone, who flourished in that county temp. Edward I. " 2

The place name literally means "farmstead of a woman called Cengifu," derived from the Old English personal name + "tun." 3 "The manor of 'Merchenestune' [Mercaston] was for many generations the property and seat of a younger branch of the Knivetons, of Bradley, who were seated here as early as the reign of Edward III. William Kniveton was one of the baronets created by James I. on the institution of the order in 1611. " 1

"The incumbent resides in the Hall [of Ashwelthorpe in Norfolk], an ancient residence of the Knyvett family, moated on three sides." 1

Early History of the Knyvet family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Knyvet research. Another 390 words (28 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1290, 1440, 1471, 1480, 1485, 1486, 1500, 1510, 1512, 1515, 1535, 1536, 1539, 1543, 1544, 1549, 1558, 1569, 1579, 1591, 1600, 1605, 1616, 1622, 1649, 1652, 1655, 1671, 1685, 1687, 1689, 1690, 1693 and 1699 are included under the topic Early Knyvet History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Knyvet 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 Knyvet include Knifton, Kniveton, Knyveton, Nifton, Knyvet, Knyveton and many more.

Early Notables of the Knyvet family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Sir William Knyvett (c. 1440-1515), English politician, High Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk in 1480 and 1471
Sir Anthony Knyvett (c. 1486-1549), English politician who held the office of Black Rod in the English Parliament from 1536 to 1543
Sir Thomas Knyvett (also Knevitt or Knivet or Knevet), of Buckenham, Norfolk (c. 1485-1512), an English nobleman who was a close associate of King Henry VIII shortly after that monarch came to the thr...
Thomas Knyvett (or Knyvet), de jure 4th Baron Berners (1539-1616), English politician, High Sheriff of Norfolk and Chance from 1579 until his death
Thomas Knyvet, 1st Baron Knyvet (1558-1622), English nobleman, Member of Parliament for Westmorland and Westminster, he occupied the first house known on the site of 10 Downing Street which at that ti...
Thomas Knyvett (died 1569), Member of Parliament for Brackley, Bramber and Plymouth
Sir Thomas Knyvet (died 1605), of Ashwellthorpe, Norfolk and Stradbroke, Suffolk, an English politician
Sir Philip Knyvett, 1st Baronet of Buckenham, Norfolk, (died 1655)
Sir Robert Knyvett, 2nd Baronet of Buckenham, Norfolk, (died 1699)

Migration of the Knyvet family

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 Knyvets to arrive on North American shores: John Kniveton settled in Virginia in 1738 (he also spelled his name Knifton).

Contemporary Notables of the name Knyvet (post 1700) +

Sir Arthur Knyvet Wilson (1842-1921), English Admiral and First Sea Lord

The Knyvet Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: In domino confido
Motto Translation: I trust in the Lord.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)