Neville
NEV-il
A surname-turned-given name that originally pointed to someone from a “new town” or new settlement.
Meaning
Neville is best known as an English surname that later came into use as a given name. It comes from a Norman French place name, usually explained as meaning “new town” or “new village,” from Old French roots for “new” and “settlement.” The excerpts provided mention Neville only as a surname/patronymic, not as a given-name meaning source.
Origin
Old FrenchNorman Frenchmasculine
Fun fact
It became more familiar as a first name in England after long use as a family surname.
Confidence: mixed. Sources: History of Christian Names, Curiosities of Puritan Nomenclature.