The surname Nesten was first found in Cheshire at Neston, a parish, in the union, and Higher division of the hundred, of Wirrall. "At the Domesday Survey the manor of Great Neston was held in three parts, one by the monks of St. Werburgh, one by William Fitz-Nigel, Baron of Halton, and the third by Robert the Cook. Early in the reign of Stephen, the second baron of Halton obtained that portion which belonged to the monastery, in exchange for Raby; and a subsequent arrangement put him in possession of the entire manor. The manor of Little Neston is mentioned in Domesday Book as held by Robert the Cook. " 1 Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Neston, held by William FitzNigel, a Norman Baron who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. However, we must look to Sussex to find the earliest records of the name. William A. Neston was listed there in 1447, as was Robert A. Neston who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of 1525. 2
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Early History of the Nesten family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nesten research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) covering the year 1525 is included under the topic Early Nesten History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Nesten Spelling Variations
Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Neston, Nesston, Nestone and others.
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Early Notables of the Nesten family
More information is included under the topic Early Nesten Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Nesten family
Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Nesten name or one of its variants: John Neston, who arrived in Virginia in 1703.
England
Scotland
