Newby
A habitational surname from places called Newby, meaning “new farmstead” or “new settlement.”
The #3,148 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 26,887 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Newby is a place-based surname taken from one of several places named Newby, especially in Yorkshire and also in parts of Cumbria and nearby counties. The name is usually explained from Old Norse elements meaning “new” plus “farmstead, settlement, or dwelling-place,” giving the sense “new habitation” or “new settlement.” The surname therefore originally identified someone who came from, or lived near, such a place.
History
The name appears in records as a local surname attached to Yorkshire places such as Newby near Ripon, Clapham, and Harewood. That fits the strong Scandinavian place-name pattern in northern England, where many surnames were formed from local settlements rather than personal nicknames. Later the surname spread beyond its original districts through migration, especially within England and to English-speaking countries abroad.
Origin
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Fun fact
Several English place-names with the ending -by, including Newby, preserve a Norse word for a farm or village and are a reminder of Viking-age settlement in northern England.
From the historical record
“Newburgh was Latinized de NovoBurgo. NEWBY (Scand.) Bel. to Newby ; or Dweller at the New Farmstead or Settlement [O.N. nji-r + bS-r] KlwC§ML}f-Newcome,q.v; N EWCO ME 1 (Eng.)NEWcoMER; Stranger NEWCpMEN fJM.E. neu, new(e, new(ly +”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)