Nevin (surname)
Nevin is a surname of Irish (Gallowglass) origin. Two etymologies are given. It may originate from Cnamhín, derived from Cnamh, "a bone", possibly a nickname in reference to the first chief of the clan who was a bony or large-boned man.[1][2][3] Secondly, it may be an Anglicisation of the Irish Gaelic form MacCnaimhín / Ó Cnaimhín / MacCnaomhín / Ó Cnaomhín or Ní Chnáimhín / Ní Chnáomhín (female),[4] meaning "Little Saint" or "Saintly" / "Believer in Saints" / "Religious".[5]
Nevin Modern Placement
The name Nevin is particularly found along the north and west coast of Ireland in Londonderry, Donegal, Mayo and Galway where many settled around the 13th century, having been Gallowglass Mercenaries,[6] and in the north and west of Scotland. The Nevins are notable per local population in Achill and the surrounding islands in County Mayo and around Coleraine and Derry. Possible sources of the family have been cited as: Achill Island, Athenry, Mayo village and Mulranny in Ireland, as well as Braco, Isle of Bute, Kilwinning, and Lanark, in Scotland. Nevin has often been anglicised as McNevin, Nieven, McNieven, McNiven, Navin, Knavin and Niven, amongst many others. The main Scots translation, most likely due to accent, is Niven / McNiven.[7][8]
Nevins in History
The family name of Nevin originated somewhere within Scotland and Ireland sometime before the 6th Century.[6] Although it is uncertain whether the family name originated in Ireland or Scotland, it is clear that there had been mutual migration between the two countries for several hundreds of years prior to the 13th century.[8] It is possible that the Nevins first left Ireland for Scotland with the Dalriadan Scots or more likely, with a Gaelic migration sometime pre 5th Century.[7][8] Nevins have been noted in presence well before the 10th century on the west coast of Scotland, most notably in Ayrshire, Islay, Bute and the Hebrides. The family were also noted in Ireland well before the 10th Century and are mentioned numerously as an ancient family of the Uí Maine of Connacht in O'Donovan's "The Hy Many".[8][9] The family obtained a Seat near Athenry, Galway in the early 14th Century, most likely gifted as a payment for mercenary service.[6] It is assumed the Nevin family's large presence in modern Ireland arrived with the Gallowglass sometime before the 14th Century.[1][7][8]
Nevins and English Rule
Patrick Nevin, son of John, submitted to Edward I, King of England in 1296, as recorded by the Ragman Roll.[10] In February 1429 Patrick Nevin died in the initial assault by the Scots forces during the Battle of the Herrings, Orléans, against the English. In 1602 the chief of the MacCnaimhíns in Galway was hanged for rebelling against Elizabeth I outside of his home at Crannagh MacCnaimhín, near Gort in Galway.[11][12] In 1603 a branch of the Ayrshire & Galloway Nevins were exiled to Ireland.[13] In 1745 John Nevin of Aberdeen was imprisoned in Carlisle alongside his young son James for their part in the Jacobite Uprising and was later executed. His son James went on to become a composer of Jacobean songs and poems.[14] John Nevin of Ballymoney was a Captain in the United Irishmen Rebellion of 1798.[15] The prominent surgeon William MacCnaimhín, a close friend of Robert Emmet's older brother Thomas, was a chief negotiator with the French during the planning of the 1798 rebellion and assisted in organising the rebellion itself. He was arrested on the eve of the rebellion, along with Thomas Emmet, imprisoned in Scotland and was later exiled to America.[12][16][17]
Notable people with the surname Nevin
- Áine Ní Chnáimhín (1908–2001) - Irish Author and Irish Translator of English Literary Works[4]
- Allan Nevins (1890–1971) - American Journalist, Historian, Author and Biographer
- Arthur Nevin (1871–1943) - American Composer and brother of Ethelbert Nevin
- Blanche Nevin (1841–1925) - American Sculptor and Poet. Daughter of John Williamson Nevin
- Bob Nevin (b. 1938) - former National Hockey League player
- Brooke Nevin - Canadian Actress[18]
- Danny Nevins (b. 1966) - Prominent American Rabbi and Dean of the Rabbinical School of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
- David Nevins, Jr. (1839–1898) - American Merchant and Philanthropist
- Declan Nevin - 2016 Gormley Cup Winner Coppinger Court Hockey, Fallon Field, Roslindale MA
- Donal Nevin - Biographer of James Connolly.[19]
- Duncan Nevin - Head Teacher and Minister to City of Dunblane, Scotland for over 30 years under James VI from 1576 to 1607[20]
- Edwin Henry Nevin (1814–1889) - American Presbyterian Minister and Religious Composer[21][22]
- Ethelbert Nevin (1862–1901) - American Pianist and Composer
- George Balch Nevin (1859–1933) American Composer and Businessman
- George McNiven (1929-2008) - Irish/Scottish Goalkeeper
- Gordon Balch Nevin (1892–1943) American Composer and Organist
- Jason Nevins - American Musician
- Jess Nevins - American Author and Librarian
- John Niven - Scottish Author
- John Nevin (1940-1971) - Irish Boxer
- Johnny Nevin - Irish Hurling Player and Gaelic Footballer from Carlow
- Bishop John J. Nevins (b. 1932) - Long serving Roman Catholic Bishop in Venice, Florida[23]
- John Joe Nevin - Irish Traveller and Amateur World Boxing bronze medalist from Mullingar, Westmeath
- John Williamson Nevin (1803–1886) - Scottish Irish Theologian and Presbyterian Minister for over 50 years in the U.S.A
- Kate Nevin (d. 1715) - Witch, Healer and Prophetess. Burnt at the stake in Monzie, Scotland in 1715
- Mark E. Nevin - Singer Songwriter, formerly of the band Fairground Attraction
- Martin Nevin (1934-2014) - Irish Boxer
- Mary Nevin - Dublin Gaelic Footballer
- Michael Nevin (1930-2010) - Irish Boxer
- Paul Lawrence Nevins (b. 1944) - Lawyer and author, Boston, MA
- Pat Nevin - Scotland International Soccer Player
- Pat Nevin - Mayo Gaelic Footballer
- Phil Nevin (b. 1971) - Former American professional baseball player
- Robyn Nevin - Australian actress
- Shannon Nevin, Australian rugby league footballer
- Thomas MacNevin (1814–1848) - Irish Author, Historian, Biographer, Poet and Journalist
- Fr. Thomas Nevin (1904–1989) - Longest serving Catholic Priest in Orange County, California, U.S.A[24]
- Thomas Edwin Nevin (1906–1986) - Distinguished researcher in the field of molecular spectroscopy and Professor of Experimental Physics at University College Dublin
- Thomas R. Nevin - American author (Therese of Lisieux: God's Gentle Warrior)
- Thomas Nevin - Official Messenger of King James V of Scotland and later his wife Mary de Guise
- Thomas Nevin (1685–1744) - Outspoken Scottish Irish Presbyterian Minister and subject of the trial of Thomas Nevin MA
- Tom Nevin, Australian rugby league footballer
- Tommy Nevin (b. 1942) - Scottish Boxer
- William Nevins, American Cinematic and Video Game Composer
- William MacCnaimhín - Irish Republican and Organiser of the Irish 1798 Rebellion[12]
- William O'Kelly Nevin - Irish Republican and Personal Physician to Empress Maria Theresa of the Holy Roman Empire
See also
- Achill
- Baphomet
- Braco
- Christian mysticism
- Coleraine
- Crescent Moon
- Dutch Blue Guards
- Thomas Addis Emmet
- Esotericism
- Freemasonry in Scotland
- The Gallowglasses
- Garde Écossaise
- Grand Lodge of Ireland
- Hy Many
- Inishbiggle
- Irish Rebellion of 1798
- Irish Travellers
- Isle of Bute
- Jacobite rising of 1745
- Kilwinning
- Kirkwood Estate, East Ayrshire
- Knights Templar
- Thomas MacNevin
- Masonic lodge
- Monkredding House, North Ayrshire
- Kate Ní Chnáimhín (Witch of Monzie)
- Naughton
- Nefyn
- Nevyn
- Order of the Secret Monitor
- Potato Labour Scandal 1971
- Rùm
- Selene
- Spanish Royal Guard
- Ulster Irish Language
- Ulster Scots dialects
References
- 1 2 "Surname Database - Nevin".
- ↑ MacLysaght, Edward (1985). The Surnames of Ireland (6th ed.). Dublin: Irish Academic Press. p. 235. ISBN 0-7165-2366-3.
- ↑ "According to the family genealogy the Nevins are descended from Cnamhin ('cnaim': Irish 'a bone') from whom were derived O'Cnaimhin, anglicized Neving, MacNevin, Bone, Bonass, and Bowen. Cnamhin was No. 102 of the Princess of Oly O'Carroll from Cian, third son of Olioll Olum, King of Munster." Howard, John Tasker (1935). Ethelbert Nevin. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company. p. 6.
- 1 2 "Áine Ní Chnáimhín - 1908-2001".
- ↑ Geddes and Grosset Dictionary of Names. ISBN 1-84205-010-9.
- 1 2 3 "Homestead - The Nevins".
- 1 2 3 O'Donovan, John. The Hy Many. pp. 143–144.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Woulfe, Patrick (1993). Irish Names and Surnames. ISBN 978-0-8063-0381-9.
- ↑ "Nevins of the Western Isles".
- ↑ "The Ragman Roll of 1296".
- ↑ "Execution of Nevin - Elizabeth I 1602".
- 1 2 3 O'Donovan, John. The Hy Many p68-69. pp. 68–69.
- ↑ "Webclans - Nevins".
- ↑ McDonnell, Frances (2000). John Niven Jacobite. ISBN 9780806346854.
- ↑ "John Nevin - United Irishmen".
- ↑ "The Physician William Nevin and the French and Exile".
- ↑ "Physician William Nevin 1798".
- ↑ "Brooke Nevin IMDB".
- ↑ Molony, Julia (2006-02-19). "Non-fiction writers who stretch their literary legs". Sunday Independent. Retrieved 2012-05-24.
- ↑ "Duncan Nevin Dunblane".
- ↑ "Edwin Nevin". Archived from the original on 2012-07-31.
- ↑ "Edwin Henry Nevin - Biography". Archived from the original on 2016-02-03.
- ↑ "Bishop JJ Nevin".
- ↑ "Fr. Thomas J Nevin".