Nighton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The Anglo-Saxon name Nighton comes from the family having resided in Knighton, which had three locations. The first West Knighton, a parish in the county of Dorset; the second, a chapelry in the parish of Lindridge in the county of Worcester; and thirdly, a chapelry in the parish of St. Margaret's, Leicestershire.

Early Origins of the Nighton family

The surname Nighton was first found in Worcestershire at Knighton-upon-Teame, a chapelry in the parish of Lindridge. West Knighton, is a parish in Dorset, four miles from Dorchester and Knighton is a chapelry in the parish of St. Margaret, Leicester.

The Domesday Book of 1086 lists Cnihtetone, (Lecistershire) and Chitestone (Staffordshire.) 1

The first record of the family was Henry Knighton (Cnitthon) (fl. 1363) the English historical compiler and canon of St. Mary's Abbey, Leicester. His name, Henricus Cnitthon is found in three books of the time. 2

In early rolls, a wide variety of spellings were found: Alexander de Cnichteton in the Pipe Rolls for Worcestershire; Ralph de Knichton in the Assize Rolls for Staffordshire in 1222; and Hugh de Knyghton in the Subsidy Rolls for Leicestershire, to name a few. 3

In Yorkshire, Thomas de Knyghton was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 4

And in early records from Scotland, "Nicol de Knyghton del counte de Edinburgh rendered homage, 1296 [to King Edward I of England]." 5

Early History of the Nighton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nighton research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1170 and 1296 are included under the topic Early Nighton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nighton Spelling Variations

Nighton has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Spelling variants included: Knighton, Nicken, Nighten and others.

Early Notables of the Nighton family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Knighton of Worcester

Migration of the Nighton family

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Nightons to arrive on North American shores: John Knighton settled in Virginia in 1643; Joseph Knighton arrived in Philadelphia in 1813.

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lee, Sir Stanley, Dictionary of National Biography. London: The MacMillan Company 1909. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)