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Anonymous
Anonymous asked in Arts & HumanitiesGenealogy · 1 decade ago

Nisbet family in Scotland?

Hey I'm currently researching my family history. My family "Nisbet" came to australia from scotland. I was wondering if anyone can tell me anything about the Name Nisbet in Scotland

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    I found this for you, is this what you mean.

    Surname: Nisbet

    This unusual and interesting name is a variant of the Northern English and Scottish locational surname "Nesbit" or "Nisbit". There are several places so called in the Border region (Northumberland especially), the derivation being from the Northern Middle English "nese", nose plus either the Old English pre 7th Century word "bita" meaning mouthful, or piece of ground, or "byht", a bend (in a river). The placenames could therefore mean either a piece of raised land shaped like a nose, or a bend in a river shaped like a nose. The Scottish Nesbits come from the old barony of Nesbit in Berwickshire. There are six spellings of the name in the modern idiom:- Nisbith, Nisbet, Nesbit(t), Naisbit(t) and Naisbet. Alexander Nisbet (1657 - 1725) was a famous heraldic writer. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Robert de Nesbit, charter witness. which was dated c. 1160 - 1200, Records of the Abbey of Kelso. during the reign of King William, the Lion of Scotland, 1165 - 1214. 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.

    Hope this helps.

  • 1 decade ago

    I've got a different variation of Nisbet in NZ as my surname. I don't really have any info on the person who brought it here. Search it on google and it'll give you all the history and info as well as the shield thing of it.

    Source(s): me
  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Hi

    Have you seen Eric Nisbet's page at:

    http://www.geocities.com/egnisbet/Genealogy/Family...

    He might be able to advise you.

    Best wishes and Good Luck in your search.

    Pat,

    Edinburgh

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