Show ContentsNestone History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Nestone family

The surname Nestone 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

Early History of the Nestone family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nestone research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) covering the year 1525 is included under the topic Early Nestone History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nestone Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval 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. The name has been spelled Neston, Nesston, Nestone and others.

Early Notables of the Nestone family

More information is included under the topic Early Nestone Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Nestone family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Nestone or a variant listed above: John Neston, who arrived in Virginia in 1703.



  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)


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