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Netherton History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Netherton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Netherton surname is derived from the Old English "neothera," meaning "lower," and "tun," meaning "enclosure," or "settlement." It is a habitational name derived from any of several places so named, such as one in Northumberland, and one in Worcestershire.

Early Origins of the Netherton family

The surname Netherton was first found in Worcestershire, at Netherton, a hamlet that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times in the year 780 when it was first listed as Neotheretun. 1 By the Domesday Book of 1086, the hamlet was known as Neotheretune. 2 One of the first records of the name was found here in 1275 when Petronilla de la Netherton was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire. 3 The township of Netherton in Northumberland is of particular significance to the family. "This place was the residence, at an early period, of a family of the same name; and among the most considerable families that have subsequently owned it, have been those of Swinburne, Ogle, and Heron. Hugo de Hexham held three messuages, 120 acres of land, and four meadows, here." 4

Early History of the Netherton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Netherton research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1275 and 1330 are included under the topic Early Netherton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Netherton 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 Netherton, Nuthereton and others.

Early Notables of the Netherton family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Netherton of Netherton

Netherton Ranking

In the United States, the name Netherton is the 11,010^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Netherton migration to the United States +

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 Netherton or a variant listed above:

Netherton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Netherton, who arrived in Maryland in 1650 6
Richard Netherton, who landed in Maryland in 1666 6

Netherton migration to Australia +

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

Netherton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Netherton, (b. 1807), aged 32, Cornish carpenter travelling aboard the ship "Roxburgh Castle" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 26th May 1839 7
Mrs. Mary Netherton, (b. 1807), aged 32, Cornish general servant travelling aboard the ship "Roxburgh Castle" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 26th May 1839 7
Mr. Thomas Netherton, (b. 1807), aged 32, Cornish carpenter, from Lostwithiel, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Roxburgh Castle" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 26th May 1839 8
Mrs. Mary Netherton, (b. 1807), aged 32, Cornish general servant, from Tywardreath, Cornwall, Uk travelling aboard the ship "Roxburgh Castle" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 26th May 1839 8
Mr. Fred Netherton, (b. 1869), aged 19, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Jumna" arriving in Queensland, Australia on 6th February 1888 9

Netherton 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:

Netherton Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mrs. Amelia Netherton, (b. 1835), aged 28, Cornish settler departing on 20th October 1863 aboard the ship "Tiptree" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 20th January 1864 10
Mr. John Netherton, (b. 1836), aged 27, Cornish farm labourer departing on 20th October 1863 aboard the ship "Tiptree" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 20th January 1864 10
Miss Mary Jane Netherton, (b. 1857), aged 6, Cornish settler departing on 20th October 1863 aboard the ship "Tiptree" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 20th January 1864 10
Mrs. Amelia Netherton, (b. 1835), aged 28, Cornish settler from Cornwall travelling from London aboard the ship "Tiptree" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 20th January 1864 11
Mr. John Netherton, (b. 1836), aged 27, Cornish farm labourer from Cornwall travelling from London aboard the ship "Tiptree" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 20th January 1864 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Netherton (post 1700) +

Tom Netherton (b. 1947), American singer best known for his long tenure on The Lawrence Welk Show
William Netherton, American Republican politician, Chair of Pulaski County Republican Party, 1905 12
Darrell Netherton, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Iowa, 1972 12
Augustena V. Netherton, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1944 12
Kirk Netherton (b. 1985), English rugby league player
Jason Netherton (b. 1982), English professional rugby league player
Darrell L Netherton, Director of regional operations of the US Merit Systems Protection Board

The Netherton 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: Decrevi
Motto Translation: I have resolved.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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, May 30). Ships' Passenger Lists of Arrivals in New South Wales on (1828 - 1842, 1848 - 1849) [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nsw_1838_on.pdf
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_bounty_nsw.pdf
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_queensland.pdf
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
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 18) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html