Show ContentsNewcom History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Anglo-Saxon name Newcom comes from its first bearer, who was a new person in town; a person who had just arrived to live in the area. The name Newcom is derived from the Old English elements niwe, which means new, and cumen, which means come. The name is therefore transliterated as "newly come." Nickname surnames were frequently the result of a spontaneous reaction to a particular occasion or event. [1]

Early Origins of the Newcom family

The surname Newcom was first found in Lincolnshire where Alan le Neucument was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1175. In Durham, William Neucum was listed at Boldon in 1183 and Walter le Neucumen was a Knights Templar in Lincolnshire in 1185. Again in Lincolnshire, Richard Newecwne was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1195. [2]

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Gilbert le Neucum, Lincolnshire; Gilbert le Neucomen, Lincolnshire; and Robert Neucomen, Lincolnshire. To the north in Yorkshire, Ricardus Newcomen was registered there in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. [3]

"Newcombe is an old Devonshire name. Richard Newcomb was twice mayor of Barnstaple in the reign of Henry VI. (G.). In the 16th and 17th centuries, a gentle family of Newcombe resided at Great Worthy, in Teignton - Drew. The name was well known in Exeter from the 16th to the 18th century, and Newcomb was the name of the Exeter mayors of 1612, 1703, and 1713. Ashburton also possessed a family of the name in the 16th century, Newcombe being the name of the Ashburton churchwardens of 1550 and 1569. The name still survives in Exeter and Barnstaple." [4]

We found this interesting passage: "Somewhere about the year 1670, there was born in Dartmouth a man who did more to lay the foundations of the present manufacturing greatness of the kingdom, and to advance the progress of industrial operations throughout the world, than any other who can be named. This was Thomas Newcomin, the inventor of the first practical working steam-engine, upon which, after it had been many years in useful operation, the work of James Watt was based. Newcomin, with whom was associated another Dartmouth man, named Cawley, perfected his engine in 1705. Hardly anything is known of him except that he was a locksmith and ironmonger, and that he died in 1729. The date of his birth is quite uncertain, but no doubt has ever been thrown upon his being a Dartmouth worthy. The house in which he lived was pulled down a few years since, and the materials worked into a house called ' Newcomin Cottage.' West-Countrymen are proud of the fact that to Newcomin the world owes the stationary steam-engine, and to Trevithick, of Hayle, in Cornwall, the locomotive. Newcomin's engine was a perfectly new machine, though it had to a certain extent a predecessor in the ingenious device of Savery of Shilston ; and Trevithick's engine was the first that proved the practicability of steam locomotion on railroads." [5]

Early History of the Newcom family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Newcom research. Another 57 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1610, 1627, 1669 and 1695 are included under the topic Early Newcom History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Newcom Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Newcom has been spelled many different ways, including Newcombe, Newcom, Newcomb, Newcome, Newcomen and others.

Early Notables of the Newcom family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

  • Sir Robert Newcomen of Renagh in county Longford
  • Matthew Newcomen (c. 1610-1669), an English nonconformist churchman

Ireland Migration of the Newcom family to Ireland

Some of the Newcom family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Newcom migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Newcoms to arrive in North America:

Newcom Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Francis Newcom, aged 30, who arrived in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Planter" [6]
  • Mrs. Rachel Newcom, aged 21, who arrived in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Planter" [7]
  • Miss Rachel Newcom, aged 2 years 6 months, who arrived in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Planter" [7]
  • Mr. John Newcom, aged 9 months, who arrived in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Planter" [7]
Newcom Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Anna Newcom, aged 6, who arrived in New York, NY in 1852 [6]
  • Elisibeth Newcom, aged 4, who landed in New York, NY in 1852 [6]
  • Fridrich Newcom, aged 16, who landed in New York, NY in 1852 [6]
  • Fridrick Newcom, aged 50, who arrived in New York, NY in 1852 [6]
  • Margretta Newcom, aged 11, who landed in New York, NY in 1852 [6]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

West Indies Newcom migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. [8]
Newcom Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Marie Newcom, aged 17, who landed in Barbados in 1635 aboard the ship "Falcon" [6]

Contemporary Notables of the name Newcom (post 1700) +

  • Colonel George Newcom, one of the first settlers in Dayton after the Treaty of Greenville (1795); he built Newcom Tavern, also known as the "Old Cabin", a historic structure in Dayton, Ohio
  • James E. Newcom (1905-1990), American four-time Academy Award nominated film editor


  1. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  5. Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
  6. 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)
  7. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies


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