| ![Show Contents]() Nealis History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of NealisWhat does the name Nealis mean? The name Nealis came to England with the ancestors of the Nealis family in the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Nealis family lived in Berkshire where Willelmus filius Nigelli was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086. 1 While this may seem like a stretch form the modern day spellings of the name, we must remember that name entries at this time were in Latin. In fact later, another Willelmus Nigelli was listed in Wiltshire according to the Feet of Fines for 1195. "The name was carried to Iceland by the Scandinavians as Njáll, taken to Norway, then to France and brought to England by the Normans. It was also introduced direct into north-west England and Yorkshire by Norwegians from Ireland. " 2 Early Origins of the Nealis familyThe surname Nealis was first found in Wiltshire where they held a family seat from ancient times as Lords of the manor of Grittleton, pre-Conquest called Grutelington (940 AD) and by the Domesday Book in 1086, the place name had changed to Gretelintone. 1 The parish of Grittleton included the Glastonbury Abbey, one of the richest churches in England at that time. At the time of the Conquest, the lands were held by Urso from the Bishop of Coutance, conjecturally the ancestor of this distinguished family. Early History of the Nealis familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nealis research. Another 188 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1485, 1641, 1678, 1699, 1743, 1754, 1789, 1805, 1828, 1836, 1845, 1846, 1850, 1857, 1891, 1894, 1895, 1900, 1950 and 1952 are included under the topic Early Nealis History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Nealis Spelling VariationsMultitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Neeld, Neald, Neild, Nield, Nields, Neelde, Nealde, Neilde, Nielde, Neele and many more. Early Notables of the Nealis familyDaniel Neal (1678-1743), an English historian; Sir John Neeld (1805-1891), 1st Baronet, MP for Cricklade and Chippenham, gentlemen of the privy council, married Elizabeth Harriet in 1845; his son Sir Algernon William Neeld (1846-1900) was 2nd Baronet and Sheriff of Wiltshire (1894 to 1895); and Sir Audley Dallas Neeld...
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Nealis Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Nealis migration to the United States | + |
Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Nealis or a variant listed above:
Nealis Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Doby Nealis, who landed in Newport, Rhode Island in 1811 3
- James Nealis, who arrived in Newport, Rhode Island in 1811 3
- Mathew Nealis, who arrived in Newport, Rhode Island in 1811 3
- John Nealis, who landed in Savanna(h), Georgia in 1835 3
| Nealis 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: Nealis Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- Mr. John Nealis, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Inchinnan" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 27th May 1852 4
| Contemporary Notables of the name Nealis (post 1700) | + |
- Edward G. Nealis, American Texas oil man, former spouse of Doris Colleen Houck (1921-1965), American actress
- James "Jimmy" Nealis (b. 1991), American soccer player who played professionally for the New York Cosmos in the North American Soccer League
- Sean Nealis (b. 1997), American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer
- Dylan Nealis (b. 1998), American professional soccer player who plays as a right-back for Major League Soccer club New York Red Bulls
- James A. Nealis, American Republican politician, Presidential Elector for California, 1956 5
- Edmund Nealis, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1960, 1964 6
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: Nomen extendere factis
Motto Translation: The name matches the deed
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- 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
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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