Show ContentsNevell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Nevell is one of the thousands of new names that the Norman Conquest brought to England in 1066. The Nevell family lived in Durham. Their name, however, is a reference to Neuville, Sur Touques of Orne in the canton of Gacey, Normandy. "This family descended from Baldric Teutonicus, who with his brother Wiger came to Normandy c.900 to offer his service to the Duke. From him descend the families Neville, Courcy and others." 1

Early Origins of the Nevell family

The surname Nevell was first found in Durham where they claim descent from Gilbert de Nevil, the companion in arms of the William the Conqueror who many believe was the Duke's Admiral but there is no mention of him in the Domesday Book. 2

Another early record shows Ranulph de Nevill of Raby, Durham, being summoned to Parliament as a Baron on June 8, 1294. Ralph Neville (died 1244) served as Lord Chancellor of England, Bishop of Chichester and was Archbishop of Canterbury elect from 1231 to 1232.

Wargrave in Berkshire was home to another branch of the family. "The living is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at £13. 13. 6½., and in the gift of the lord of the manor and impropriator, Lord Braybrooke, to whose ancestor, Sir Henry Nevill, the Billingbear estates, and the hundred of Wargrave, anciently attached to the see of Winchester, were granted by Edward VI." 3

Another branch of the family was found at Dalton-Piercy in Durham. "In 1370, Henry, Lord Percy, sold this manor to Sir John Nevile, of Raby; and it remained with the descendants of that proprietor until the forfeiture by the family, since which time the lands have been divided." 3

"[Liversedge in the West Riding of Yorkshire] was anciently the property of the Neville family, lords of the manor, of whose mansion, Liversedge Hall, there are still some slight remains." 3

Early History of the Nevell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nevell research. Another 259 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1100, 1200, 1364, 1379, 1385, 1388, 1397, 1425, 1426, 1428, 1431, 1461, 1470, 1471, 1615, 1620, 1625, 1631, 1651, 1655, 1661, 1668, 1675, 1676, 1680, 1681, 1685, 1692, 1694, 1697, 1712, 1717 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Nevell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nevell 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 Nevell 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 Nevell include Neville, Navelle, Nevile, Nevil, Nevill and others.

Early Notables of the Nevell family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • John Nevell, Neville, Nevill or Nevil, (died 1697), was an English Vice Admiral from St. Margaret's, Westminster, Middlesex who spent most of his career in the Americas living in Virginia. He died the...

Ireland Migration of the Nevell family to Ireland

Some of the Nevell family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Nevell 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 Nevell, or a variant listed above:

Nevell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Edmund Nevell who settled in Maine in 1625
  • John Nevell, who landed in Maryland in 1633 4
  • Joanna Nevell, who arrived in Maryland in 1662 4
  • Mary Nevell, who landed in Maryland in 1674 4
Nevell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • J N Nevell, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 4

West Indies Nevell 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. 5
Nevell Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Nicholas Nevell, who settled in Barbados in 1635
  • Nicholas Nevell, aged 19, who arrived in Barbados in 1635 4
  • Mr. Nicholas Nevell, (b. 1616), aged 19, British settler travelling aboard the ship "Expedition" arriving in Barbados in 1636 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Nevell (post 1700) +

  • Mike Nevell, English industrial architect
  • William Thomas Nevell (1916-1978), English cricketer for Middlesex and Surrey from 1936 to 1947


  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
  3. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  4. 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)
  5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  6. Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 29th September 2021. Retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm


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