| ![Show Contents]() Neeve History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The distinguished surname Neeve was first brought to England in the wake of the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is derived from the Old French "neveu," meaning "nephew," and was most likely first borne by an orphan who was brought up in the care of his uncle. Alternatively, it may have been used as a euphemism to refer to the illegitimate son of a medieval prelate. Early Origins of the Neeve familyThe surname Neeve was first found in Kent, where the family held estates. After the Norman Conquest of 1066, Duke William the Conquerer granted lands to the many Norman barons under his rule; the Neeve family is thought to be descended from one or several of these barons. The first known bearer of the name was Robert le Neve, who was living in Kent in 1242. Early History of the Neeve familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Neeve research. Another 131 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1242, 1250, 1268, 1274, 1579, 1650, 1654, 1661, 1704 and 1729 are included under the topic Early Neeve History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Neeve Spelling VariationsAnglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Neve, Neave, Neaves, Neeve, Neeves, Nephew, Neveu and others. Early Notables of the Neeve familyAnother 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Neeve Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Neeve familyFor many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Neeve or a variant listed above were: Mary Neve, who settled in Maryland in 1662; Samuel Neve, who immigrated to Barbados in 1682; Timothy Neve, who came to Annapolis, Maryland in 1746; George Neve, who emigrated from Kent to New York in 1828 with his wife and their six children.
| Historic Events for the Neeve family | + |
- Mr. Ernest Neeve (1887-1914), Canadian Second Class Passenger from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 1
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England
Scotland
