Nails History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Etymology of Nails

What does the name Nails mean?

The surname Nails is a German occupational surname that evolved in the region known as the Rhineland. Germans at first used only one name, but population growth and increased travel in medieval times caused confusion between people of the same name, forcing the people to adopt hereditary surnames. These names often identified people by the kind of work they did. Nails is a name for a carpenter, builder or a person who made or sold nails. The name Nails is derived from the Old German word "nagal," which means "nail." There are also numerous places named Nagel in Germany.

Early Origins of the Nails family

The surname Nails was first found in Westphalia, where this family made important contributions toward the development of this district from ancient times. Always prominent in social and political affairs, the family formed alliances with other families within the Feudal System and the nation.

Early History of the Nails family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nails research. Another 232 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1224, 1451, 1562, 1649, 1769, 1773, 1836 and 1851 are included under the topic Early Nails History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nails Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Nails include Nagel, Nagle, Naegel, Nageli, Naegeli, Nagell, Nagler, Nagele, Naegele, Naegelen, Negel, Negele, Nail, Neil and many more.

Early Notables of the Nails family

Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Nails Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Nails family

Hundreds of thousands of Europeans, including many Rhinelanders, made the voyage to North America between the 17th and 20th centuries. It was an escape from religious persecution and poverty and also an opportunity for people to start over and own their own land. Most landed at Ellis Island, off New York before moving on to the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, and California. Some also landed in Canada and settled in Ontario, while others headed west to the prairie provinces. A study of passenger and immigration lists has shown a number of people bearing the name of Nails, or one of its variants, reaching North America shores very early: Jacob Nagel, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1730. Heinrich Nagele came to Philadelphia in 1754; while Heinrich Nageli settled in Carolina in 1742.