Nugent - Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Nuinseann
Meaning: Norman, from Nogent in France
Traditional stronghold: Westmeath
Pronunciation: NYOO-jent; Irish de Nuinseann: deh NIN-shun
History of the Nugent name
The Nugents take their name from Nogent in France and came to Ireland with Hugh de Lacy's conquest of Meath in the twelfth century. Gilbert de Nugent received the territory of Delvin in Westmeath, and his descendants held it for over seven centuries as Barons Delvin and, from 1621, Earls of Westmeath. Like many Old English families they moved easily between two worlds: Christopher Nugent, Baron Delvin, compiled an Irish-language primer for Queen Elizabeth I, while Gaelic poetry was composed both for and by members of the family. Nugents also served with distinction in the armies of France and Austria, where Laval Nugent rose to field marshal.
Variants: de Nuinseann
Famous bearers of the name
- Christopher Nugent, Baron Delvin - Elizabethan nobleman who compiled a primer of the Irish language for Queen Elizabeth I.
- Laval Nugent von Westmeath - Irish-born field marshal of the Austrian Empire and Roman prince.
- Frank S. Nugent - Irish-American screenwriter of The Quiet Man and many John Ford westerns.
Related names from the same part of Ireland: Daly · Dillon · Scully · Coffey · Carey · Dalton · Dooley · Fox