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Nevitt History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Nevitt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the Nevitt family brought their name to England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Kniveton, which is a parish in Derbyshire near Ashbourn. The name is pronounced Nifton.

Early Origins of the Nevitt family

The surname Nevitt was first found in Derbyshire at Kniveton, a parish, in the hundred of Wirksworth where "the manor of 'Cheniveton,' so called in the Domesday Survey, was from a very early period the property of the Kniveton family. " 1

"The extinct Baronet family descended from Sir Matthew de Knivetone, who flourished in that county temp. Edward I. " 2

The place name literally means "farmstead of a woman called Cengifu," derived from the Old English personal name + "tun." 3 "The manor of 'Merchenestune' [Mercaston] was for many generations the property and seat of a younger branch of the Knivetons, of Bradley, who were seated here as early as the reign of Edward III. William Kniveton was one of the baronets created by James I. on the institution of the order in 1611. " 1

"The incumbent resides in the Hall [of Ashwelthorpe in Norfolk], an ancient residence of the Knyvett family, moated on three sides." 1

Early History of the Nevitt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nevitt research. Another 390 words (28 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1290, 1440, 1471, 1480, 1485, 1486, 1500, 1510, 1512, 1515, 1535, 1536, 1539, 1543, 1544, 1549, 1558, 1569, 1579, 1591, 1600, 1605, 1616, 1622, 1649, 1652, 1655, 1671, 1685, 1687, 1689, 1690, 1693 and 1699 are included under the topic Early Nevitt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nevitt Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Nevitt were recorded, including Knifton, Kniveton, Knyveton, Nifton, Knyvet, Knyveton and many more.

Early Notables of the Nevitt family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Sir Thomas Knyvett (also Knevitt or Knivet or Knevet), of Buckenham, Norfolk (c. 1485-1512), an English nobleman who was a close associate of King Henry VIII shortly after that monarch came to the thr...

Nevitt Ranking

In the United States, the name Nevitt is the 15,396^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Nevitt migration to the United States +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Nevitt arrived in North America very early:

Nevitt Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Richard Nevitt (Nevill), (1619 - 1674), who left England and arrived in Maryland in 1634 aboard the ship "Ark and Dove 5

Nevitt Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Nevitt, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1751 5

Nevitt Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Nevitt, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1856 5
John H. Nevitt, aged 27, who immigrated to the United States, in 1893
Mr. Wm. M. Nevitt, aged 30, who landed in America from London, in 1894
Mrs. H.C. Nevitt, aged 28, who settled in America, in 1896
William Nevitt, aged 7, who landed in America from Liverpool, in 1899
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Nevitt Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Gertrude Nevitt, aged 31, who landed in America from Dewsburg, England, in 1912
Emma Nevitt, aged 16, who immigrated to the United States from Birkenhead, England, in 1923

Nevitt migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Nevitt Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Irving H. Nevitt, aged 30, who immigrated to Toronto, in 1913

Nevitt migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Nevitt Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

H. Nevitt, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Athenian" in 1849 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Nevitt (post 1700) +

Garland Nevitt, American head coach of the Central Michigan college football program in 1919
Charles Goodrich "Chuck" Nevitt (b. 1959), retired American professional NBA basketball player
Arthur S. Nevitt, American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at New Orleans, Louisiana, 1855-57 7

The Nevitt Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: In domino confido
Motto Translation: I trust in the Lord.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The ATHENIAN 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Athenian.htm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html