Contents [hide]

Nance History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Nance History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Cornwall, one of the original six "Celtic nations" is the homeland to the surname Nance. A revival of the Cornish language which began in the 9th century AD has begun. No doubt this was the language spoken by distant forebears of the Nance family. Though surnames became common during medieval times, English people were formerly known only by a single name. The way in which hereditary surnames were adopted in medieval England is fascinating. Many Cornish surnames appear to be topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees, many are actually habitation surnames. The name Nance is a local type of surname and the Nance family lived in the village of Nanfan, in Cornwall. Members of the family were involved in the blacksmith trade and prior to the 18th century often went by the occupational name Trengove, from the Cornish words tren meaning strong, and angove, meaning smith. Many used the name Trengoff of Nance.

Early Origins of the Nance family

The surname Nance was first found in Cornwall where they held a family seat from early times.

The manor of Truthal in the parish of Sithney, Cornwall was "granted to the family of Nants or Nance, [after the Reformation] who were succeeded in the possession by the Arundells of Tolverne." 1

Early History of the Nance family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nance research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1521, 1547, 1553, 1561 and 1720 are included under the topic Early Nance History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nance Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Nance, Trengove, Trengoff, Trengrove and others.

Early Notables of the Nance family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

Henry Trengove or Nance (by 1521-1561), of Nance in Illogan, Cornwall, an Cornish politician, Member of the Parliament for Helston, Cornwall in October 1553

Nance Ranking

In the United States, the name Nance is the 1,185^th most popular surname with an estimated 24,870 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Nance family to Ireland

Some of the Nance family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nance migration to the United States +

An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Nance or a variant listed above:

Nance Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Alice Nance and her husband settled in Virginia in 1639
Richard Nance, who landed in Virginia in 1639 3

Nance Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Nancy Nance, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1820

Nance Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Allen Nance, aged 52, who immigrated to the United States, in 1905
Dana Nance, aged 7, who immigrated to the United States, in 1912
Florence K. Nance, aged 37, who landed in America, in 1912
Harold Arthur Nance, aged 24, who immigrated to the United States from London, England, in 1913
Edgar J Nance, aged 1, who landed in America from London, England, in 1913
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Nance migration to Australia +

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

Nance Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Jemima Nance, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Royal Admiral" in 1838 4
Miss Mary Nance, (b. 1830), aged 14, Cornish nursemaid travelling aboard the ship "William Mitcalfe" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 13th March 1844 5
Mr. Thomas Nance, (b. 1806), aged 38, Cornish carpenter travelling aboard the ship "William Mitcalfe" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 13th March 1844 5
Mrs. Elizabeth Nance, (b. 1807), aged 37, Cornish dressmaker travelling aboard the ship "William Mitcalfe" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 13th March 1844 5
Mr. William Nance, (b. 1832), aged 12, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "William Mitcalfe" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 13th March 1844 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Nance (post 1700) +

Todd Nance (1962-2020), American original drummer of Widespread Panic
James Solomon "Big Jim" Nance (1942-1992), American collegiate and professional football fullback with the Boston Patriots, posthumously inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2009
Ray Willis Nance (1913-1976), American jazz trumpeter, violinist and singer, best known for his work with band leader Duke Ellington
John J. Nance (b. 1946), American pilot, aviation safety expert, and author
Joseph Milton Nance (1913-1997), American historian
Walter E Nance (b. 1933), American medical geneticist
Mamie Nance, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Montana, 1940
Rebecca Nance, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Alaska, 1996
Sam L. Nance, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Arkansas, 1928
Stu Nance, American Libertarian politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Texas 16th District, 1998
... (Another 19 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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) ROYAL ADMIRAL 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838RoyalAdmiral.htm
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, May 30). Ships' Passenger Lists of Arrivals in New South Wales on (1828 - 1842, 1848 - 1849) [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nsw_1838_on.pdf