Surname Nuthall - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'N'
Nuthall: What does the surname Nuthall mean?
The last name Nuthall is of English origin and is believed to have derived from the combination of ‘hnut’ (or nut) and ‘halh’ (or hollow), referring to a family living in a hollow that was populated by nut trees. The name Nuthall therefore likely referred to a local landmark, indicating that the first known bearers of the name were likely natives of a particular region or settlement.
The name is first recorded in the 12th century in the form de Nottehale, and is most predominantly found in the English Midlands in counties such as Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, and Leicestershire. During the 1300s and 1400s, several members of the Nuthall family were noted among the upper class of society in England, serving in prominent positions such as knights, justices, and sheriffs.
Nuthall continues to be a very common surname in the British Isles to this day, especially in England. There are also numerous individuals and families across the world who have adopted this surname since emigration to countries such as the United States, Australia, and Canada began in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Order DNA origin analysisNuthall: Where does the name Nuthall come from?
The last name Nuthall is still very common today and is primarily found in the United Kingdom. In British records, Nuthall is the most common spelling, but alternate spellings such as Nuthal, Nuttall and Nuttal are also found.
Nuthall has been found in records dating back to the 13th century in Yorkshire, England. The name originates from the Old English name Nuta, meaning “from the nut tree”. It is likely that an early ancestor took their name from the place they lived near such as a nut wood or a altar based on nut dishes commonly eaten in Medieval England.
The popularity of the surname spread throughout the United Kingdom with records found in Buckinghamshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire, Lancashire and Derbyshire. Today it is most commonly found in Yorkshire and Lancashire with concentrations of individuals living in those counties.
On a global level, the name has spread far beyond the United Kingdom. Due to migration, immigrants have taken the name to new parts of the world. Nuthall can now be found scattered throughout the United States,Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The prevalence of the name in these different countries varies, but it can be found in most census records.
Variations of the surname Nuthall
The surname Nuthall is an English surname, and its variants are Nuthal, Nuthale, Nuthall, Nuthill, and Nuttall. In some cases, the spelling has been corrupted over time after pronunciation.
Nuthall is a habitational surname, derived from a place-name of the same spelling in Nottinghamshire, which was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. The area or village was once a manor owned by William Peverel, a Norman nobleman, whose tenants took on the name. It is not surprising, therefore, that this name was well-represented in Nottinghamshire during medieval times.
Further afield, the surname is found in other counties of England, including Derbyshire and Yorkshire. In some cases, it might be connected to the Nuttall family who owned large tracts of land in Holderness, East Yorkshire, during the 17th and 18th centuries. It is also possible that the surname is a variation of another place-name like Nutfield in Surrey, or other villages known under similar spellings around the country.
The surname Nuthall is usually pronounced as 'Nuthull'. It is also common for people bearing this name to take on additional surnames, such as Nutting, Nutkins or Nutbeam.
In summary, the surname Nuthall has a number of variants, spellings and connected surnames, which all appear in different English counties. This is evidence of its long history and wide distribution.
Famous people with the name Nuthall
- Woody Nuthall, American professional soccer player
- Martyn Nuthall, British author and conservationist
- Emmylou Nuthall, Canadian teen pop singer
- Lord Nuthall, 19th-century British judge
- Alison Nuthall, British national table tennis champion
- Michael Nuthall, British actor and comedian
- Arthur Nuthall, British theatre director
- Kim Nuthall, British printmaker and former Turner Prize artist
- Lawrence Nuthall, British athlete and Olympian
- Steve Nuthall, British rugby union player