Nean History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

Early Origins of the Nean family

The surname Nean was first found in Lincolnshire where one of the first records of the name was Richard le Naim who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of that shire (1170-1178.) A few years later, John Nepos, le Neim was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Surrey in 1214. In Worcestershire, John le Neim (c. 1280) and John le Naym (1327) were listed in the Subsidy Rolls. Year later, John Naym was listed in the Inquisitions and Assessments relating to Feudal Aids in 1431. 1 The name was also traditionally known as a nickname having derived from the Old English word "neme" which meant "uncle." 2

Early History of the Nean family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nean research. Another 110 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1175, 1430, 1510, 1600, 1698 and 1864 are included under the topic Early Nean History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nean 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 Nean family name include Neame, Neeme, Neam, Neem, Neme, Name and others.

Early Notables of the Nean family

Distinguished members of the family include Charles Neame of Harefield Court and John Neame of Selling Court, Kent among the most valuable hop growers in East Kent. The are presumed to be the namesakes of Shepherd Neame, the...
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Nean Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nean migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, 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 Nean surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Nean Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Nean, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1871 3

Sources +

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)
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)