Nealey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Nealey family

The surname Nealey was first found in Essex where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the 13th century when they held lands.

Nealey Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Nealey include Nealwell, Nellwell, Nealewell, Nelwell, Nealewell and others.

Early Notables of the Nealey family

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

Nealey Ranking

In the United States, the name Nealey is the 18,068^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Nealey family

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..