Show ContentsNeat History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Neat family

The surname Neat was first found in Cambridgeshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the 13th century when they held estates in that shire.

Early History of the Neat family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Neat research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1370, 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Neat History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Neat Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Neat has been recorded under many different variations, including Neat, Neate, Neet, Neete, Neyte, Neyt and others.

Early Notables of the Neat family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • the Neat family of Swindon, Wiltshire


United States Neat migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Neat or a variant listed above:

Neat Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Morice Neat, who landed in Maryland in 1678 1
Neat Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Eliza Neat, who arrived in Virginia in 1714 1
  • Sebastian Neat, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1738
  • Sebastian Neat, aged 55, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 1

New Zealand Neat 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:

Neat Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Neat, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Harwood" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 4th November 1858 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Neat (post 1700) +

  • L. T. Neat, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Kentucky, 1896 3


  1. 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)
  2. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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