Show ContentsNewsom History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Newsom has a long Anglo-Saxon heritage. The name comes from when a family lived in one of the various places called Newsham, Newsam, or Newsholme. These names are common in the north of England and all mean at the new houses. The surname Newsom belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. The surname Newsom belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. The name is derived from the Old English words niwe + hus which are an earlier form of niwum or husum which means "place at the new houses". 1

Early Origins of the Newsom family

The surname Newsom was first found in West Yorkshire where the village of Newsome can still be found today, located about 1 mile south of Huddersfield. Newsholme is a hamlet in the East Riding of Yorkshire and a township named Newsholm is found in the parish of Gisburne, near Clitheroe in the West Rising of Yorkshire. There are numerous entries in the Domesday Book using the spellings: Neuhusum, Newhusum, Neuhuse and others 2

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list the following: Willelmus de Newsom, dwelling at Newsholm; Alicia de Neusom; and Willelmus de Newsome. 3

Newsham Abbey was an abbey in Newsham, a small hamlet north of Brocklesby village in Lincolnshire. The abbey was the first Premonstratensian house established in England, in 1143. It was suppressed in 1536, and today parts of the abbey are visible as earthworks.

Early History of the Newsom family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Newsom research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1721 and 1743 are included under the topic Early Newsom History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Newsom Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Newsom have been found, including Newsham, Newsam, Newsone, Newson, Newsholme, Newsun and many more.

Early Notables of the Newsom family

Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Newsom Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Newsom Ranking

In the United States, the name Newsom is the 2,542nd most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Newsom family to Ireland

Some of the Newsom 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.


Newsom migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Newsom, or a variant listed above:

Newsom Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • James and Elizabeth Newsom, who settled in Virginia in 1642
  • Eliz Newsom, who landed in Virginia in 1662 5
Newsom Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Robert Newsom, aged 27, who arrived in Delaware in 1812 5

Newsom migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Newsom Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Eliza Newsom, aged 26, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Prudence" in 1838

Newsom migration to Australia +

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

Newsom Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Newsom, English convict who was convicted in Hertford, Hertfordshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Blenheim" on 11th March 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Newsom (post 1700) +

  • David D Newsom (b. 1918), American administrator, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (1969-1974)
  • Tommy Newsom (1929-2007), American saxophone player in the NBC Orchestra on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
  • Ted Newsom (b. 1952), American writer, director and actor
  • Joanna Newsom (b. 1982), American musician and songwriter
  • Gavin Newsom (b. 1967), American Democratic politician, Mayor of San Francisco (since 2004)
  • David D. Newsom (1918-2008), former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (1969-1974)
  • David Newsom (b. 1962), American actor and fine-arts photographer
  • Louis Norman "Bobo" Newsom (1907-1962), American Major League Baseball player
  • Carroll Vincent Newsom (1904-1990), American Mathematics professor, president of New York University (1956-1962)
  • Gavin Christopher Newsom (b. 1967), American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of San Francisco, California, 2004-11; Lieutenant Governor of California, 2011- 7
  • ... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

RMS Titanic
  • Miss Helen Monypeny Newsom, aged 19, American First Class passenger from New York City, New York who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking escaping in life boat 5 8


Suggested Readings for the name Newsom +

  • Possums Run over Their Graves by Rebecca Newsom Dobson, .

  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  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. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. 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)
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blenheim
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  8. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html


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