NEWBY
Newby is a surname of English and Norse origin that emerged as a locational name for inhabitants of newly founded farms or settlements in the northern counties of England. The name is derived from the Old Norse terms nýr, meaning new, and býr, meaning farm or settlement; it is therefore literally translated as new farm or new settlement.
Historic records indicate that places named Newby were situated in Cumberland, Westmorland and the North Riding of Yorkshire. In the mid‑thirteenth century the name appears in documents as Neubi in the Register of the Priory of Wetherhal (circa 1165), as Neuby in the Early Yorkshire Charters (circa 1160), and again as Neuby in the Percy Chartulary (circa 1200). These references confirm the British origin of the name and its association with newly established farms.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname itself is Nicholas de Neuby in the Hundred Rolls of Yorkshire (1273) during the reign of King Edward the First. Subsequent church registers from London document baptisms and marriages of individuals bearing the name in the 1570s, for example the christening of Elizabeth Newby in 1574 at St. Giles, Cripplegate, and the marriage of Elizabeth Newby to Jeffrey Segwick in 1575 at St. Mary Magdelene, Old Fish Street.
In the late fourteenth century a coat of arms was granted to John de Newby in the time of King Richard the First. The blazon records a red fess between three red roses on a white (argent) field; the crest is described as an arm in armour brandishing a sword, all proper. This heraldic register confirms the prominence of the name within the gentry of medieval England.
Over the centuries the surname spread beyond the British Isles. During the colonial period many bearers of the name sailed to America, the West Indies and later to Australia, Canada and continental Europe. It remains especially common in the north of England, particularly within Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cumberland and Westmorland, and is also found in Jamaica and other parts of the Caribbean, a legacy of nineteenth‑century migrations.
Variations in spelling have arisen over time, including Newbie, Newbye, Newsby, Neeby and Neuby, as well as forms such as Newbery and Newbyre. Despite these differences, all of the variants share the same linguistic root and continue to denote a connection to a place of new settlement.
Typical given names associated with the Newby surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Jane
- Jennifer
- Karen
- Laura
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
- Victoria
- Wendy
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Newby in...
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There are approximately 5,634 people named Newby in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,679th most common surname in Britain. Around 87 in a million people in Britain are named Newby.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Newby
- Chas Newby - Bassist
- Eric Newby - Writer (1919 to 2006)
- Richard Newby, Baron Newby - Politician
- P. H. Newby - Novelist and broadcasting administrator (1918 to 1997)
- Howard Newby - Sociologist
- Oliver Newby - Cricketer
- Jon Newby - Football player
- Jack Newby - Cricketer
- William Newby - Cricketer (1855 to 1921)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.