Show ContentsNewly History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

There are several places named Newland in Britain including: a liberty in the parish of Hurst, Berkshire; a parish in Gloucestershire; a township in Lancashire; a parish in Worcestershire; and a hamlet in the East Rising of Yorkshire to list a few. Newlands is found in Cumberland, Derbyshire, Northumberland and Durham. 1

All have the same meaning: "new arable land," having derived from the Old English word "niwe," + land. The earliest seems to be found in Hertfordshire and Worcestershire which both date back to 1221. 2

Another source sums up the origin as someone "who dwelt on, or near, the newly cleared or newly acquired land; one who came from Newland, the name of various places in England." 3

Early Origins of the Newly family

The surname Newly was first found in Kent where Samson de la Niwelande was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1181. 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 has two listings of the family in Cambridgeshire: Roger de la Neuelonde and Richard le de Neulond. The same rolls includes entries for Thomas de la Neulaund, Essex and G. de Neuland, Lincolnshire. 5

Somerset records show William atte Niwelond, Somerset, 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign on King Edward III.) 6

Up in Scotland, "There was an old barony of Newlands in the sheriffdom of Kincardine, and a parish of the name in Peeblesshire, from either of which the surname may have been derived. The name was common in Glasgow in the sixteenth century, and common in the parish of Dalswinton till recent times. Jasper Newlands of that Ilk in record, 1469. Duncan Newlandis bailie of the burgh of Linlithgow, 1493, Peter Newlandis, witness there in 1537 (Johnstoun), and Kentigem Newlandis, witness in 1542." 7

Early History of the Newly family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Newly research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1469, 1481, 1483, 1515, 1573, 1597, 1640, 1648, 1670, 1675, 1688, 1702, 1706, 1726, 1730, 1743, 1748, 1782 and 1807 are included under the topic Early Newly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Newly Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Newly include Newland, Newling, Newley, Nieland, Newlan and others.

Early Notables of the Newly family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

  • Robert Newlyn (1597-1688), was an English clergyman and academic, President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford from 1640 to 1648; and Roger Newland of Newlands in Southampton who having failed to effec...

Ireland Migration of the Newly family to Ireland

Some of the Newly family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Newly migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled 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 ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Newly or a variant listed above:

Newly Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Henry Newly, who arrived in Virginia in 1655 8
  • Mary Newly, who landed in Maryland in 1664 8

Australia Newly migration to Australia +

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

Newly Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • George Newly, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Agamemnon" on April 22, 1820, settling in New South Wales, Australia 9


The Newly 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: Le Nom, les armes, la loyauté
Motto Translation: The Name, the arms, the loyalty.


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  5. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  6. Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
  7. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  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)
  9. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Agamemnon voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1820 with 179 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/agamemnon/1820


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