Nantin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Nantin is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Nantin family lived in Suffolk.

Early Origins of the Nantin family

The surname Nantin was first found in Suffolk where they claim descent from the Norman knight, Bartholemew de Naunton who lived about the 12th century. Later the family settled at Alderton Hall in that county.

Early feudal rolls provided the king of the time a method of cataloguing holdings for taxation, but today they provide a glimpse into the wide surname spellings in use at that time. In Essex Hugh de Naunton was listed in the Feet of Fines for 1326. A very rare name, the next entry we found was Wyllyam Naunton in 1461 and later, Wyll Naunton in 1465. 1

Naunton is a parish, in the union of Stow-on-the-Wold, partly in the hundred of Bradley, but chiefly in the Lower division of that of Slaughter, E. division in Gloucestershire and Naunton-Beauchamp is a parish, in the union, and Upper division of the hundred, of Pershore, Pershore and E. divisions of Worcestershire. 2

The Gloucestershire parish dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was known as Niwetone. 3 The Saxon parish of Niwwantune in 972, later became Newentune in the Domesday Book and later again Newenton Beauchamp when the Beauchamp family resided there in the 11th century. Both parishes literally mean "new farmstead or estate." 4

Early History of the Nantin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nantin research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1563, 1582, 1585, 1586, 1589, 1590, 1592, 1594, 1596, 1621, 1635, 1639, 1669 and 1758 are included under the topic Early Nantin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nantin Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Naunton, Nawnton, Nanton, Nauntone and others.

Early Notables of the Nantin family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Robert Naunton (1563-1635), the English politician, "born at Alderton, Suffolk, in 1563, was eldest son of Henry Naunton of Alderton, by Elizabeth Ashby, and was grandson of William Naunton, whose wife Elizabeth was daughter of Sir Anthony Wingfield, K.G. Robert was educated at Cambridge, where he matriculated as a fellow-commoner of Trinity College. On 11 Nov. 1582 he was elected a scholar, graduating B.A. in the same year; he became on 2 Oct. 1585 a minor fellow, and on 15 March 1585-1586 a major fellow, and proceeded M.A. soon afterwards. In 1589...
Another 236 words (17 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Nantin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Nantin family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Nantin or a variant listed above: James Nawnton who landed in North America in 1715.

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)