Nutley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancient Anglo-Saxon surname Nutley came from Cnute, a popular name in England in the early Middle Ages. It was popular thanks to the influence of Cnut, a Dane, who became King of England in 1016. "There are two Cnuts in Domesday, one in Yorkshire, the other in Derbyshire." 1

Alternatively, it may be of nickname origin, from the Old English word hnutu, which meant brown, and would have been given to someone with a brown complexion. It may be that this is the origin of the English saying "Brown as a nut," used for someone who has spent a lot of time in the sun.

Early Origins of the Nutley family

The surname Nutley was first found in Gloucestershire where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Nutley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nutley research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1550, 1576, 1577, 1600, 1605, 1612, 1620, 1623, 1640, 1653, 1656, 1660, 1668, 1716, 1722 and 1987 are included under the topic Early Nutley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nutley Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Nutley family name include Nutt, Nudd, Nutting, Knutt, Nuttman, Nutter and others.

Early Notables of the Nutley family

Distinguished members of the family include John Nutt (1605-1668), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1653; and John Nutt (fl. 1620-1623), English pirate born in Devon who raided the Newfoundland and western England for three years before his capture by Sir John Eliot in 1623. His arrest and conviction caused a scandal in the English court as Nutt had paid Eliot £500 in exchange for a pardon. He was eventually released by the Secretary of State George Calvert. He arrived at Torbay Newfoundland in 1620 aboard the ship Dartmouth in 1620, but soon organized...
Another 204 words (15 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Nutley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Nutley family to Ireland

Some of the Nutley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nutley migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Nutley surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Nutley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Wm. Nutley, aged 25, who immigrated to the United States from London, in 1893
Merian Nutley, aged 13, who immigrated to the United States, in 1897
Mrs. J. Nutley, aged 47, who landed in America, in 1897

Nutley Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

William D. Nutley, aged 32, who landed in America, in 1912
Julia Nutley, aged 15, who immigrated to the United States from Woodlawn, Ireland, in 1916
Margaret Nutley, aged 20, who settled in America from Woodlawn, Ireland, in 1920
Daniel Nutley, aged 21, who landed in America from Woodlawn, Ireland, in 1920
William Nutley, aged 26, who immigrated to America from Wigan, England, in 1922

Nutley migration to Australia +

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

Nutley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Nutley, English convict who was convicted in Exeter, Devon, England for life, transported aboard the "Claudine" on 19th August 1829, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 2
William Nutley, aged 49, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Violet"
James Nutley, aged 23, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Violet"
George Nutley, aged 23, a shepherd, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Violet"
William Nutley, aged 15, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Violet"
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Nutley (post 1700) +

Colin Nutley (b. 1944), English director
Molly Nutley (b. 1995), Swedish actress
Zara Nutley, New Zealand-born, British television actress
Danny Nutley (b. 1974), Australian former rugby league footballer
Bronwyn Nutley (b. 1983), Australian footballer
Bobby Nutley (1916-1996), Scottish footballer

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 18th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/claudine