Neller History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Neller is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is a product of when the family lived in Kneela, in Devon, or at Knell House in Sussex, or in Knill, in Herefordshire. 1 The place-names described above are all derived from the Old English word cnylle, which meant knoll. The name means "dweller at the knoll." 1 It seems likely that the name originated at Knill, in Herefordshire, as this is the oldest place that bears that name. Knill appears in the Domesday Book as Chenille. 2 Knell House in Sussex derives its name directly from the family name. 1
Early Origins of the Neller family
The surname Neller was first found in Herefordshire, at Knill, a "parish three miles from Kingston." 3 Alternatively the name could have originated at Nill Well in Cambridgeshire. 1
Early rolls give us a glimpse of the many spelling in use over the centuries. Alvredus de Knelle was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Sussex in 1220 and William atte Knells was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296. 1
The source "Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I." lists Henry de Knell, Bedfordshire, Henry III-Edward I. 4
The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had two entries for the family, both in Cambridgeshire: Gille de Knille and Robert de Knille. 3 In Somerset, early rolls there listed John atte Knyle, but not date was provided. 5
Early History of the Neller family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Neller research. Another 139 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1220, 1273, 1296, 1327, 1560, 1569, 1570, 1571, 1573, 1581, 1600, 1615, 1646, 1656, 1660, 1662, 1664, 1723, 1826, 1835, 1846, 1852, 1857, 1866 and 1875 are included under the topic Early Neller History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Neller Spelling Variations
The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Neller has been spelled many different ways, including Knell, Kneller, Knill, Knille, Knelle and others.
Early Notables of the Neller family
Distinguished members of the family include
- Sir Godfrey Kneller, 1st Baronet (1646-1723), born Gottfried Kniller, was the leading portrait painter in England during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Kneller Hall, a stately home in the Twi...
Neller migration to the United States +
Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Nellers to arrive in North America:
Neller Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Francis Neller, who arrived in Indiana in 1847 6
Neller 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:
Neller Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Miss Eliza Neller, (b. 1831), aged 33, British dressmaker travelling aboard the ship "Amoor" arriving in Lyttleton, South Island, New Zealand on 1st July 1864 7
- Anne Neller, aged 25, a housemaid, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "La Hogue" in 1874
Contemporary Notables of the name Neller (post 1700) +
- Robert B. Neller (b. 1953), United States Marine Corps lieutenant general, Commander, United States Marine Corps Forces Command and United States Marine Corps Forces, Europe
- Keith Neller (b. 1960), Australian professional rugby league footballer who played from 1984 to 1992
Citations +
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
- 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.
- 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)
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html