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Ness History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Ness History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
England
Germany
Scotland

Early Origins of the Ness family

The surname Ness was first found in Sussex where the Pipe Rolls of 1185 list as a forename, Nest de Barri. The same rolls list as a surname, Adam Nest in Dorset. Years later, the name Nesta was found in the Assize Rolls for Worcester in 1221 and the Curia Regis Rolls for Oxfordshire in 1222. Nesta de Broketon was found in the Feet of Fines for Warwickshire in 1254 and Richard Neste was in the Subsidy Rolls for Essex in 1327. The name may be a Welsh diminutive of the name Agnes as James Nest occurs in the Registrar-General's List of Names. 1

Yorkshire records revealed William Neste as holding lands there in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 2

The Nestor and Nester variants are generally thought to be Irish, having derived from the the Gaelic Mac Girr an Adhastair, meaning son of the short man of the bridle. The surname is most common in County Galway and County Clare. 3

Early History of the Ness family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ness research. Another 74 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Ness History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ness 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 Ness have been found, including Ness, Nest, Nessi, Nas, Nassi, Nesti, Nass, Noss, Nestor and many more.

Early Notables of the Ness family

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

Ness Ranking

In the United States, the name Ness is the 3,482^nd most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 4

Ness 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 Ness, or a variant listed above:

Ness Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

An Cath. Ness, who settled in New York in 1710
Georg Wilhelm Ness, who settled in New York, NY sometime between 1710 and 1714
Ann Cath. Ness went to New York, NY in the fall of 1710 and was given aid by the British Government to survive her first winter there, a debt which she, among hundreds of others, did not repay
An Cath Ness, who arrived in New York, NY in 1710 5
Mathias Ness and his wife Maria Barbara settled in Philadelphia with their six sons in 1731
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Ness Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr. Heinrich Ness, aged 51, German labourer who arrived in New York in 1893 aboard the ship "Dania", heading to Iowa 6
Mrs. Anna Ness, aged 52, German settler who arrived in New York in 1893 aboard the ship "Dania", heading to Iowa 7
Miss Margarethe Ness, aged 10, German settler who arrived in New York in 1893 aboard the ship "Dania", heading to Iowa 8

Ness migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Ness Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mrs. Ann Ness U.E. who settled in Carleton, [Saint John West] New Brunswick c. 1784 9
Lieut. John Ness U.E. born in Yorkshire, England who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 he served in the Prince of Wales American Regiment, he died in 1799 9

Ness migration to Australia +

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

Ness Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

James Ness, aged 16, a moulder, who arrived in South Australia in 1859 aboard the ship "James Jardine"
Paul Ness, aged 15, a moulder, who arrived in South Australia in 1859 aboard the ship "James Jardine"
Angus Ness, aged 4, who arrived in South Australia in 1859 aboard the ship "James Jardine"
Hugh Ness, aged 9, who arrived in South Australia in 1859 aboard the ship "James Jardine"
Mrs. Janet Ness, aged 39, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1859 aboard the ship "James Jardine"
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Ness migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Ness Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mrs. Eliza Ness, (b. 1820), aged 38, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Indiana" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 28th November 1858 10
Mr. William Ness, (b. 1820), aged 38, British carpenter travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Indiana" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 28th November 1858 10
Miss Susan Ness, (b. 1849), aged 9, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Indiana" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 28th November 1858 10
Miss Mary Ness, (b. 1851), aged 7, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Indiana" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 28th November 1858 10
Miss Helen Ness, (b. 1854), aged 4, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Indiana" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 28th November 1858 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Ness (post 1700) +

Eliot Ness (1903-1957), American Prohibition agent, famous leader of a legendary team nicknamed "The Untouchables"
Norman Frederick Ness (1933-2023), American geophysicist who worked at the University of California, Los Angeles
Mike Ness (b. 1962), American guitarist and vocalist
Cornelius P. Van Ness (1782-1852), American lawyer and politician from Vermont
Albert Ness, American Artist
John Peter Van Ness (1770-1846), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Representative from New York 6th District, 1801-03; Mayor of Washington, District of Columbia, 1830-34 11
James Peter Van Ness (1808-1872), American politician, Mayor of San Francisco, California, 1855-56; Member of California State Senate, 1871 11
Jacob Van Ness, American politician, Postmaster at Poughkeepsie, New York, 1819-21 11
Hugh Van Ness, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for supervisor of Bedford Township, Monroe County, Michigan, 1940 11
Henry M. Van Ness, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Passaic County, 1847-48 11
... (Another 17 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
MacLysaght, Edward, Supplement to Irish Families. Baltimore: Genealogical Book Company, 1964. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Germans to America retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from Glazier, Ira. A., and Filby, P. William. Germans to America: Lists of Passengers Arriving at U.S. Ports. Vol. 62, Scholarly Resources Inc, 2062
Germans to America retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from Glazier, Ira. A., and Filby, P. William. Germans to America: Lists of Passengers Arriving at U.S. Ports. Vol. 62, Scholarly Resources Inc, 2063
Germans to America retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from Glazier, Ira. A., and Filby, P. William. Germans to America: Lists of Passengers Arriving at U.S. Ports. Vol. 62, Scholarly Resources Inc, 2064
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html