Newcomb
A surname meaning “newly arrived” or “newly settled,” originally a nickname for a newcomer to a village.
The #2,534 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 21,603 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Newcomb is generally explained as a form of Middle English newe comen, meaning “newly come” or “newly arrived.” The final -b is usually treated as excrescent, added later in spelling; early forms are commonly written Newcomen or Newcome. In sense, it is closely related to Newman, both referring to a recent settler or newcomer.
History
Historical surname writers note that Newcomb appears alongside Newcomen/Newcome in early records, especially in England. The name later spread to Ireland and North America, where it survives in several spelling forms. It is best known today in the anglicized spelling Newcomb, though older and regional variants remain common in historical sources.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Some 19th-century writers explicitly called the b in Newcomb “excrescent,” meaning it was seen as a later spelling addition rather than part of the original word.
From the historical record
“' the new-comen,' a newly-settled stranger; c£ Newman (q.v.). The b in Newcomb is excrescent New- comen is the invariable form in early rolls. M.E. cumtti, totHtti, to come, pp. cunUH, comm, come (Skeat). ' Bui the fflemyngs among theae thioEi”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances