Recorded in a wide variety of spellings including Needham, Needam, Neden, Nedin, Nedon, Needon, Needing and even Netting, this interesting surname is English. It is locational from any one of the five places called 'Needham' in the counties of Derbyshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk, or possibly in a few cases from Netton, a village in Wiltshire. As Needham the derivation is from the Olde English pre 7th century elements 'ned' meaning need, with 'ham', a homestead or village, the name indicating a place that provided a poor living. A similar formation from the same period was the place called Hungerton, also meaning a poor or hungry village. Needham is the family name of the earls of Kilmorey in Ireland, who are descendants of Thomas Nedeham of Needham in Derbyshire, who was living in 1330. Netton means the cattle farm, from the Olde English word 'neata', meaning cattle. It is first recorded in 1242 as 'Netetune'. Early examples of name recordings include William Neddinge at St Botolphs Bishopgate in the city of London on October 5th 1593, Marchamont Needham (1620 - 1678) a journalist who was engaged in 1642 it would seem to write pamphlets in support of both King Charles 1st and the opposing Commonwealth, and subsequently got into trouble with both, and William Netting, a witness at St Andrews Holborn, on October 6th 1833. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John de Nedham. This was dated 1275, in the Hundred Rolls of Derbyshire, during the reign of King Edward 1st, 1272 - 1307. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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