Nevels History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Nevels was carried to England in the enormous movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Nevels family lived in Durham. Their name, however, is a reference to Neuville, Sur Touques of Orne in the canton of Gacey, Normandy. "This family descended from Baldric Teutonicus, who with his brother Wiger came to Normandy c.900 to offer his service to the Duke. From him descend the families Neville, Courcy and others." 1

Early Origins of the Nevels family

The surname Nevels was first found in Durham where they claim descent from Gilbert de Nevil, the companion in arms of the William the Conqueror who many believe was the Duke's Admiral but there is no mention of him in the Domesday Book. 2

Another early record shows Ranulph de Nevill of Raby, Durham, being summoned to Parliament as a Baron on June 8, 1294. Ralph Neville (died 1244) served as Lord Chancellor of England, Bishop of Chichester and was Archbishop of Canterbury elect from 1231 to 1232.

Wargrave in Berkshire was home to another branch of the family. "The living is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at £13. 13. 6½., and in the gift of the lord of the manor and impropriator, Lord Braybrooke, to whose ancestor, Sir Henry Nevill, the Billingbear estates, and the hundred of Wargrave, anciently attached to the see of Winchester, were granted by Edward VI." 3

Another branch of the family was found at Dalton-Piercy in Durham. "In 1370, Henry, Lord Percy, sold this manor to Sir John Nevile, of Raby; and it remained with the descendants of that proprietor until the forfeiture by the family, since which time the lands have been divided." 3

"[Liversedge in the West Riding of Yorkshire] was anciently the property of the Neville family, lords of the manor, of whose mansion, Liversedge Hall, there are still some slight remains." 3

Early History of the Nevels family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nevels research. Another 259 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1100, 1200, 1364, 1379, 1385, 1388, 1397, 1425, 1426, 1428, 1431, 1461, 1470, 1471, 1615, 1620, 1625, 1631, 1651, 1655, 1661, 1668, 1675, 1676, 1680, 1681, 1685, 1692, 1694, 1697, 1712, 1717 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Nevels History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nevels Spelling Variations

Multitudes 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 Neville, Navelle, Nevile, Nevil, Nevill and others.

Early Notables of the Nevels family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Richard Neville (1428-1471), who became the 16th Earl of Warwick, through his mother, a countess. He was known as the "Kingmaker" as he played a large role in putting Edward IV on the throne in 1461, deposing him in 1470, and then restoring Henry VI. His younger brother, John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu KG (1431-1471) was a major magnate of fifteenth-century England. Sir Thomas Nevill, 1st Baronet (c. 1625-1712), of Holt in Leicestershire, held a Baronetage of England created on 25 May 1661; Sir Edward Nevill, 1st Baronet (c. 1651-1685) of Grove...
Another 127 words (9 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Nevels Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nevels Ranking

In the United States, the name Nevels is the 7,384^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Nevels family to Ireland

Some of the Nevels family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nevels 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 Nevels or a variant listed above:

Nevels Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Margit Nevels, aged 16, who arrived in America from Vencsello, Hungary, in 1913

Contemporary Notables of the name Nevels (post 1700) +

Malik S. Nevels, American executive director of the Illinois African American Coalition for Prevention (ILAACP)
Philip Nevels, American executive director of World Business Chicago, co-founder and COO of Power2Switch
James Nevels (b. 1952), American director for MeadWestvaco Corporation (2014-)
Lucy Nevels, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Presidential Elector for Nebraska, 1972 5
Joseph E. Nevels, American Republican politician, Candidate for Wisconsin State Assembly 18th District, 1972 5
Alma Nevels, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Michigan Democratic State Central Committee, 1973 5

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 18) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html