| ![Show Contents]() Nields History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England Nields is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Nields family lived in Berkshire where Willelmus filius Nigelli was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086. 1 While this may seem like a stretch form the modern day spellings of the name, we must remember that name entries at this time were in Latin. In fact later, another Willelmus Nigelli was listed in Wiltshire according to the Feet of Fines for 1195. "The name was carried to Iceland by the Scandinavians as Njáll, taken to Norway, then to France and brought to England by the Normans. It was also introduced direct into north-west England and Yorkshire by Norwegians from Ireland. " 2 Early Origins of the Nields familyThe surname Nields was first found in Wiltshire where they held a family seat from ancient times as Lords of the manor of Grittleton, pre-Conquest called Grutelington (940 AD) and by the Domesday Book in 1086, the place name had changed to Gretelintone. 1 The parish of Grittleton included the Glastonbury Abbey, one of the richest churches in England at that time. At the time of the Conquest, the lands were held by Urso from the Bishop of Coutance, conjecturally the ancestor of this distinguished family. Early History of the Nields familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nields research. Another 187 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1485, 1641, 1678, 1699, 1743, 1754, 1789, 1805, 1828, 1836, 1845, 1846, 1850, 1857, 1891, 1894, 1895, 1900, 1950 and 1952 are included under the topic Early Nields History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Nields Spelling VariationsIt is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Nields are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Nields include Neeld, Neald, Neild, Nield, Nields, Neelde, Nealde, Neilde, Nielde, Neele and many more. Early Notables of the Nields familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was Daniel Neal (1678-1743), an English historian; Sir John Neeld (1805-1891), 1st Baronet, MP for Cricklade and Chippenham, gentlemen of the privy council, married Elizabeth Harriet in 1845; his son Sir Algernon William Neeld (1846-1900) was 2nd Baronet and Sheriff of Wiltshire...
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Nields Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
 Nields migration to the United States | + |
Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Nields, or a variant listed above:
Nields Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Dickeny Nields, aged 17, who landed in America from Manchester, England, in 1910
- Myer Nields, aged 22, who settled in America from Manchester, England, in 1910
- Albert Edward Nields, aged 52, who immigrated to the United States from Huddersfield, England, in 1915
- Myer Nields, aged 39, who immigrated to Boston, Massachusetts, in 1921
- Robert Littleton Nields, aged 7, who immigrated to New York, N.Y., in 1921
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Contemporary Notables of the name Nields (post 1700) | + |
- John W. Nields Jr (b. 1942), American lawyer, chief counsel for the House Committee assigned with investigating the Iran-Contra scandal
- John Percy Nields (1868-1943), United States federal judge
- Henry C. Nields (1838-1880), American officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War, eponym of the USS Nields (DD-616) for his gallant rescue of survivors of the Tecumseh during "one of the most galling fires"
- John Percy Nields (1868-1943), American politician, U.S. District Judge for Delaware, 1930-41; Senior Judge, 1941-43 3
- Sir Herbet Nields (1862-1932), Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom
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: Nomen extendere factis
Motto Translation: The name matches the deed
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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Nields migration to the United States 
