Contents [hide]

Nash History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Nash History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The history of the name Nash dates back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from a member of the family who worked as a in one of the various settlements called Ash in Derbyshire, Surrey, Hampshire, and many other places. The surname Nash is also derived from residence near an ash tree. 1 Another source claims that the name could have been derived from the Gaelic "naisg," which means "made fast, bound, protected" 2

"It must not be forgotten, however, that there are localities called Nash, in cos. Salop, Bucks, Monmouth, &c. Yet some of these were originally called Ash. The ville of Esse or Ash, co. Oxford, was corrupted (changed) to Nashe, temp. Richard H. Dunkin's Oxfordshire i. 177." 1

Early Origins of the Nash family

The surname Nash was first found in Worcestershire, where William atte Nasche was recorded in 1301. While most of the family hailed from Worcestershire, we also found Agnes ate Nasse in Oxfordshire in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. The Writs of Parliament list William atte Nasche, c. 1300. Hugh atte Nash was the rector of Wexham in 1397 and R. Nasshe owned land in Haddenham in 1487. 3

"Nash is an old Worcestershire name, the family of Nash of St. Peter's, Droitwich, dating back to the 16th century. Nash was the name of a Worcester alderman in 1590 and of the mayor of that city in 1633." 4

Early History of the Nash family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nash research. Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1377, 1379, 1380, 1381, 1383, 1394, 1395, 1400, 1590, 1593, 1626, 1640, 1647, 1648, 1661, 1730, 1740, 1742, 1777 and 1786 are included under the topic Early Nash History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nash Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Nash has undergone many spelling variations, including Nash, Naish, Nashe and others.

Early Notables of the Nash family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Richard Nash or Ash (died 1394/1395), of Hereford, was an English politician, Member of the Parliament for Hereford in 1377, 1379, 1380, 1381 and 1383; and his son, James Nash or Ash (died 1400), of H...
Abner Nash (or Naish) (1740-1786) was the Governor of North Carolina, and was originally of Welsh origin, his parents having emigrated to Virginia from Wales in 1730. His brother Frances (1742-1777) w...

Nash World Ranking

In the United States, the name Nash is the 498^th most popular surname with an estimated 57,201 people with that name. 5 However, in Canada, the name Nash is ranked the 926^th most popular surname with an estimated 5,856 people with that name. 6 And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Nash is the 441^st popular surname with an estimated 106 people with that name. 7 Australia ranks Nash as 311^st with 11,505 people. 8 New Zealand ranks Nash as 647^th with 1,108 people. 9 The United Kingdom ranks Nash as 284^th with 21,654 people. 10

Migration of the Nash family to Ireland

Some of the Nash family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nash migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Nash were among those contributors:

Nash Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Gregory Nash, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet 11
Mrs. Nash who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet 12
William Nash, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1634 11
William Nash, aged 22, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Globe" 11
Robert Nash, who landed in Virginia in 1635 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Nash Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Prudence Nash, who landed in North Carolina in 1701 11
Danll Nash, who landed in Virginia in 1706 11
Eliza Nash, who arrived in Virginia in 1714 11
Mary Nash, who arrived in Virginia in 1714 11
Robert Nash, who arrived in Virginia in 1719 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Nash Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John D Nash, who landed in Texas in 1835 11
Michael Nash, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1844 11
Robert Nash, aged 27, who landed in Missouri in 1847 11
Mary Nash, aged 20, who landed in New York in 1849 11
Thomas Nash, aged 22, who landed in New York in 1849 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Nash migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Nash Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Michael Nash, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
Mrs. Martha Nash U.E. who settled in Belle Vue, Beaver Harbour, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1783 13
Miss. Martha Nash Jr., U.E. who settled in Belle Vue, Beaver Harbour, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1783 listed as a child less than 10 years of age 13
Mr. Samuel Nash U.E. who settled in Belle Vue, Beaver Harbour, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1783 13
Mr. Joseph Nash U.E. who settled in St. Andrews, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 13

Nash Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Abner Nash, who landed in Canada in 1831
F Nash, who landed in Montreal in 1832
Frank Nash, who arrived in Canada in 1832
Edward Nash, aged 28, a gentleman, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Perceval" from Plymouth, England
C. Nash, aged 24, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Perceval" from Plymouth, England
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Nash migration to Australia +

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

Nash Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century

Mr. William Nash, English convict who was convicted in Hertford, Hertfordshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Barwell" in September 1797, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14

Nash Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Richard Nash, British Convict who was convicted in Berkshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Earl St Vincent" on 6th April 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 15
Mr. John Nash, British Convict who was convicted in Warwick, Warwickshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 11th August 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 16
James Nash, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Albion" on September 21, 1826, settling in New South Wales, Australia 17
Mr. Henry Nash, English convict who was convicted in Buckinghamshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "England"on 28th April 1826, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 18
Mr. Stephen Nash, English convict who was convicted in Kent, England for life, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 29th April 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 19
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Nash 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:

Nash Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

James Henry Nash, aged 25, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bolton" in 1840
Ann Nash, aged 24, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bolton" in 1840
Miriam Nash, aged 5, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bolton" in 1840
Norman Nash, aged 3, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bolton" in 1840
George Nash, aged 18 months, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bolton" in 1840
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Nash migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 20

Nash Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Mr. Edmond Nash, (b. 1614), aged 21, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Alexander" arriving in Barbados in 1635 21
Catherine, Mary, Richard and Thomas Nash, who settled in Barbados in 1663

Nash Settlers in West Indies in the 19th Century

William Nash, who landed in Barbados in 1800 11

Contemporary Notables of the name Nash (post 1700) +

John Lester "Johnny" Nash Jr. (b. 1940), American reggae singer-songwriter, best known for his 1972 comeback hit, "I Can See Clearly Now"
Graham William Nash OBE (b. 1942), English singer-songwriter, best known for his work with the folk-rock band Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Noreen Nash (1924-2023), born Norabelle Jean Roth, an American film and television actress, known for her leading roles in The Red Stallion (1947), The Checkered Coat (1948), and Phantom from Space (1953)
Charles Francis "Cotton" Nash (1942-2023), American Major League Baseball outfielder and NBA professional basketball player from Jersey City, New Jersey
John Forbes Nash Jr. (1928-2015), American mathematician who won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1994, co-recipient of the Abel Prize in 2015, inspiration for the movie "A Beautiful Mind"
Ted Nash (b. 1960), American Grammy Award winning jazz saxophonist and composer
Belinda Jacqueline Nash (1946-2016), Canadian-born, American historian, author and activist
John Francis Nash (1909-2004), American railroad executive
Francis Nash (1742-1777), American general in the Continental army and namesake of Nashville, Tennessee
Ogden Nash (1902-1971), American humorist and poet
... (Another 15 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Nash family +

HMS Hood

Mr. Kenneth R Nash (b. 1920), English Stoker 1st Class serving for the Royal Navy from Warwick, Warwickshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 22

Pemberton Mill

Mr. Orin C. Nash, factory worker in the Pemberton Mill on 10th January 1860 when the mill collapsed trapping 900 workers as rescue attempts continued into the night, an oil lantern was knocked over further engulfing the trapped workers in fire, he died

SS Caribou

Mr. Aloysius Michael Nash (b. 1922), Newfoundland passenger who was Royal Navy from Newfoundland and Labrador was travelling aboard the railway ferry "SS Caribou" when it was struck by a German submarine torpedo on 14th October 1942, the most significant sinking in Canadian waters at that time, he died in the sinking

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
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.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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)
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barwell
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 3rd March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Albion voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1826 with 192 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/albion/1826
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/england
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 19th April 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 28th September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm