Noftale History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Noftale is one of the many names that the Normans brought with them when they conquered England in 1066. The Noftale family lived in Guernsey. Their name, however, is a reference to the Bailiwick of Neufchatel-en-Dary, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. 1

Early Origins of the Noftale family

The surname Noftale was first found in Guernsey where they held a family seat from very early times and acquired the lands of Noftall. They were originally from Fief of Bully, held by Robert Mellevilla in the Bailiwick of Neufchatel-en-Dary in Normandy. In 1184 Engueran (Ingram) de Moncellis held Neufchatel according to the Norman Exchequer Rolls of 1184. They were conjecturally descended from Neufchatel. This family also held the lands of Nun Coton in Lincolnshire.

Early History of the Noftale family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Noftale research. Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Noftale History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Noftale Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Noftall, Noftle, Naftel, Nofty, Noftal and many more.

Early Notables of the Noftale family

More information is included under the topic Early Noftale Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Noftale family

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Noftale name or one of its variants: Peter Nofty who settled in Broad Cove, Newfoundland, in 1783; Thomas Naftel, who arrived in Norfolk, VA in 1806; Daniel Naftel, who settled in Ohio in 1807.

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)