Nett History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Nett family

The surname Nett was first found in Lancashire 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 Natby, held by Borch who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086.

Early History of the Nett family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nett research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1350, 1468, 1510 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Nett History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nett Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Nett are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Nett include Netby, Natby, Nateby, Neatby, Natbie, Natbee, Netbie, Netbey and many more.

Early Notables of the Nett family

More information is included under the topic Early Nett Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nett migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Nett, or a variant listed above:

Nett Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Nicholas Nett, who arrived in Virginia in 1639 2

Nett Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Elisabeth Loenberger, (b. 1702), who arrived in Georgia in 1738 aboard the ship "Two Brothers" 2
Friederich Nett, who landed in Georgia in 1738 aboard the ship "Two Brothers" 2
Michael Nett, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1743 2

Nett Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

George Nett, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 2

Nett migration to Australia +

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

Nett Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John J Nett, aged 27, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Hydaspes" in 1851 3
Rebecca Nett, aged 26, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Hydaspes" in 1851 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Nett (post 1700) +

Robert B. Nett (1922-2008), United States Army officer and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration
John N. Nett (b. 1875), American politician, Member of Minnesota State House of Representatives 46th District, 1917-18 4
Carl A. Nett, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Kentucky State House of Representatives 35th District; Elected 1973, 1975 4
María Eliana Nett Sierpe (1948-2022), Chilean actress and cultural manager, known for her work in theatre and television
Jason Nett, Canadian composer, producer, and guitarist

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) HYDASPES 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Hydaspes.htm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 18) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html