Nason
John Nason
John Nason
William Henry Nason b 1815
John William Washington Nason 1847-1876
Kate Evelyn Nason 1875-1933
Nason
meaning and origins
Some sources say that this name is an anglicizing of the old Hebrew name Nathan and that it appeared in the Midlands in medieval times, but “Nason” does not appear to be recorded in Britain at all until the 17th century and then in Ireland - in East Cork - where, indeed, our Nasons hail from. Another theory has it that it was first found in Warwickshire and had Dutch origins. All in all it seems to be an unusual and rather localised name in the pure ‘Nason’ form. The Dictionary of American Names, claims that it is a diminutive of the Old French nes meaning nose. So take your pick.
variations
Nathan, Naton, Neeson, Newson and Mason is but one letter away from Nason. Near but far I suspect.
distribution in England and Wales
Bearing in mind the above - in 1891 the Nasons seem to be concentrated in Warwickshire (see above) but also, Worcestershire, Oxford and Essex with the rest scattered around the country.
Warwickshire? Newfoundland, County Cork, Dublin, London
The Nasons are Irish gentility, maybe originally from Warwickshire - not as grand as aristocrats, just mid range landholders with some clergymen in there. Quietly well-off though with pretensions. There are also two groups of Nasons. Most likely they both stem from the same original source, but I have not tracked this as yet. The two groups ultimately combined with the marriage of John Nason of Newtown to Elizabeth Nason of Bettyville, with the union of the two branches being further cemented by the marriage of their son, Reverend William Henry Nason to his cousin - a daughter of Elizabeth's sister. Like the English aristocrats it seems that the Irish landed gentry intermarried quite a lot - the same names crop up here and there - though nothing ever closer than cousins.
The Bettyville side of the family also seems to have had a brief period in Newfoundland which is intriguing.
Kate Evelyn (the last in the line in this family tree), married a doctor from another distinguished line, though not landowning I think, but she moved the family to England and doubtless appalled the Nasons when she eventually separated from her husband and ran some of London’s more notorious nightclubs in the 20s and 30s, in the process marrying off most of her beautiful daughters to the aristocracy.
Of the Irish Nasons I currently know little - and Irish records are notoriously sparse - but I mean to find out more.
Richard Nason
John Nason
Richard Nason
Elizabeth Nason
