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![Show Contents]() Neefeld History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
Early Origins of the Neefeld familyThe surname Neefeld was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 1 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Nesfield, held by William de Percy, Earl of Northumberland, one the great northern Barons who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. Early History of the Neefeld familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Neefeld research. Another 52 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1345, 1381, 1603 and 1659 are included under the topic Early Neefeld History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Neefeld Spelling VariationsSpelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Neefeld have been found, including Nesfield, Nessfield, Nefield, Neefield, Nerfield, Netherfield, Netherfold and many more. Early Notables of the Neefeld familyAnother 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Neefeld Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Neefeld familyFor many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. 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 Neefeld were among those contributors: the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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