NUTTER-L Archives

From: <>
Subject: Origins of Nutter Surname
Date: Thu, 10 Jul 1997 22:58:58 -0400 (EDT)

I recently read George Redmonds book called "Surnames and Genealogy" which
mostly covers Surnames with origins in Yorkshire, England.

I read the book because of general interest and because he will be my tour
guide on the NEHGS walking tour of Yorkshire in September.

Anyway I wrote him a letter to see what he thought about the Nutter surname.
I am passing it on for everyone's benefit. I may miss a work or two in
reading his handwriting. No wonder we can't be sure about wills from 1600.

"I thought I would just mention the surname "Nutter" as I have done a great
deal of work on families in that area. As you know it has flourished on the
Yorkshire border for many centuries. You will find comments on it in H. B.
Guppy's "The Homes of Family Names in Great Britain" and P. H. Reaney's
"Dictionary of British Surnames"
and Richard McKinley's "Surnames of Lancashire." It is usual to comment on
the very similar names Nuttall-frequent in precisely the same area and more
than one writer has assumed a connection with Neatherd/Nouthird (& variants)
ie. the
occupational surname.

I do not think it derived from Nouthird-although it is theoretically
possible. I have found no evidence to support that theory at all. On the
other hand, I have clear evidence that there was a surname
Nutter/Nuttow/Nuttall in the neighborhood of Bury. However, I also have
evidence of a second surname Nutter in the Colne area of Lancashire where
derives from the occupational term Noter. I have no doubt that the two
surnames were confused in people's minds by the 1500's.

I thought you should know my views on the name at this stage."

Hopefully by the time the trip is over, Nutter will be firming etched in his
brain and he will always be on the lookout for early Nutters.

Coincidentally, and I truly believe in coincidents, my secretary was showing
me where she spent Fourth of July on the point where the Rappahannock River
joins the Chesapeake Bay and what did I see across the Rappahannock the town
of Nuttall.
David, have you noticed it before?. It is not indexed on my map. Next time
I go to the state library, I will try to find a gazetteer for its origins.

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