Surname Nisbet - Meaning and Origin

Nisbet: What does the surname Nisbet mean?

The last name Nisbet is of Scottish origin and is derived from Old French personal names. It may be derived from a given name such as Nesbitt or may be a nickname for someone who was generous or who had features resembling a nut.

In some cases, Nisbet comes from the small township of Nesbitt in Scotland, which got its name from the stream that ran through the area. The stream was known anciently as the Nisbeth, coming from the old British word ‘nes’ which translates to water.

As a surname, Nisbet is an incredibly old family name which was first documented in Scotland in 1304 AD. Records show that one of the earliest recorded bearers was named Henry de Nesbit; born in the year 1296 in Lanarkshire, Scotland.

The Nisbet family became prominent in their local area due to their influence in legal affairs and were granted land by Robert the Bruce during the Scotland's fight for independence. The Nisbets held the lands of Nisbet and Hardhill near Edinburgh and their main residence was the Nisbet House in Dirleton, East Lothian.

Other famous members of the Nisbet family include Joseph Nisbet Leavitt, an American politician who served three terms in Congress in the mid 1800s; and William Nisbet, a Scottish doctor and naturalist who wrote several books and essays in the mid to late 1700s.

Today, the last name Nisbet continues to be extremely popular throughout Scotland and is still found in small towns and villages in its ancient homeland.

Nisbet: Where does the name Nisbet come from?

The surname Nisbet is believed to have originated from a small town located in northern Scotland called Nesbitt. The town is located near the city of Dumfries and the A77 road. It is still a very common name in Scotland today, where it is the 45th most popular surname.

The name is also fairly common in England, particularly in the northern region of the country. It is in the top 500 of all surnames in England.

The name is also found in the United States of America, where it has become even more common. It is the 1819th most popular name in the country and is found in almost all states.

It is also fairly common across Canada, particularly in Ontario and Quebec. The name is also found in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and other parts of the world.

The Nisbet name can be traced back to the 11th century and is of Scottish origin and was believed to have been given in reference to a small town in the border region between Scotland and England. The name is thus connected to the region of Liddesdale, which was part of the historical Scottish-English Border Reivers region.

Today, the surname Nisbet is still an incredibly popular name and is found in multiple countries around the world. It is especially prominent in Scotland and the United States, with it being one of the top 500 most popular surnames in both countries.

Variations of the surname Nisbet

The surname Nisbet is found in several countries and has several variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. In Scotland, the name is derived from the barony of Nisbet, near Stow in Midlothian. The variants of this name are Nesbit, Nesbitt, Nisbett and Nesbitt.

The spelling variations of the surname Nisbet simply come from the fact that there were many different ways of spelling a name in the past and not much was common in spellings back then. The spelling varieties of Nisbet include Nebitt, Nebot, Nebott, Nesbet, Nesbett, Nesby, Nesbye, Nesbitt, Nesbott, Nesbitt, Nesbott, and Nesset.

The variations of the surname can also be found in other countries such as Ireland and England, where the spelling variations would be Nisbeth, Nebeth, Nebett, Nesbeth and Nesbett. Other surnames that are associated with Nisbet include Nesbeth, Nisblet, Nibloe, Neisbit, Nesbitt (England) and Nesbitt (Ireland).

The spelling variations of Nisbet are the result of the registries and records-keeping practices of the past, when many spelling variations were simply a result of how people’s names sounded phonetically. Thus, the Scots variant of the surname would be Nisbet, the Irish variant would be Nesbitt and the English variant would be Nesbett.

Famous people with the name Nisbet

• William Nisbet, 3rd Earl of Mercyhurst: Scottish nobleman and former member of the House of Lords.
• Mary Nisbet: Scottish-American socialite, charity worker and horticulturist.
• Hugh Percy Nisbet: Scottish civil engineer and contractor.
• Robert Nisbet: 19th-century Scottish poet and novelist.
• Alexander Nisbet: 18th-century Scottish heraldic writer and lexicographer.
• Eric Nisbet: Canadian poet and author.
• Ruairidh Nisbet: Scottish footballer and coach.
• Reginald Nisbet: British-American academic and historian.
• Lesley Nisbet: Scottish social work and criminologist.
• John Nisbet: 19th-century Scottish-Australian farmer and politician.
• David Nisbet: Scottish footballer.
• Graham Nisbet: Scottish footballer and manager.
• Francis Nisbet: 18th-century Scottish minister and historian.
• Storie Nisbet: American professional baseball player.
• Donald Nisbet: American football coach.
• James Nisbet: Scottish journalist and entrepreneur.
• Charles Nisbet: Scottish politician and diplomat.
• Alan Nisbet: Scottish footballer.
• Murray Nisbet: Canadian soldier and Victoria Cross recipient.
• Murray Nisbet: Canadian artist, educator and theater director.

Other surnames

Nisbett