This surname derives from "Nevin", which itself is the Anglicized form of either the Gaelic (Scotland and Ireland) name "Naoimhin", meaning "little saint", (from "Naomh", Saint) or the Anglicization of the Gaelic (Irish) "Cnaimhin", from "cnamh", bone, a byname referring to a thin man. Thus "Nevinson" came from "the son of Nevin, Niven", hence Nevinson which later became Neverson and Neaverson. The first recording of the personal name is "Nevinus", parson of Neveth, who witnessed a grant of a saltpan in Rosneath, Scotland, to the monks of Paisley, circa 1320. Also in Scottish records, one Thomas Nevin was a King's messenger in 1538. The Nivens or Nevins of Monkredding an old family in Ayshire, were recorded there in 1539, when they had a charter of these lands from the Abbey of Kilwinning. Elysabeth, daughter of George Nevsun was christened at St. Stephen, Coleman Street, London on October 28th 1554. A John Nevison (1639-1684) was a highway man who was hanged at York. One Thomas Neverson married Ann Metcalfe at St. Benets Paul Wharf, London on August 8th 1740, while Anne Neaveson married Richard Skelton at New Sleeeford, Lincolnshire on May 18th 1815. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Thomas Maknevin, which was dated 1528, The Scottish Macs", Johnston, during the reign of King James V, "Ruler of Scotland", 1513 - 1542. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.