Recorded in a large number of spellings including Delnevo, De Neve, Deneve, Leneve, Le Neveau, Neveu, Nevou, Nevo, Nevoux, Neve, Neeve, Neave, Neeves, and probably others, this is a surname of both French and English origin. Although it may have been locational from a place called Neve, for most name holders the origin is one of 'relationship'. If so the derivation is from the orginal Latin word 'nepos' meaning nephew, through the later French 'neveu' or the English 'nefa', in Middle English 'neve'. The surname would have been used to denote the nephew of an important person, a great nobleman for instance, or possibly an orphan who was brought up in the guardianship of his uncle. This type of surname is one of the most difficult to research with absolute accuracy. To have done so would have required the researcher to be presnt when the name was orginally recorded. In France an early recording from the surviving registers of the day include Jan de Neve at Conde-sur-L'Escaut, departement of Nord, on February 13th 1666, and in England the marriage of Samuel Neve and Hester Kendal at St. Mary-le-Bone, Marylebone, city of London, on the April 7th 1675. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Robert le Neve. This was dated 1242, in the Fees Book of Kent, during the reign of King Henry 111rd of England and known as 'The Frenchman', 1216 - 1272. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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