Newcomb

English

Alternative forms

• (surname): Newcom

Etymology

Nickname for a new arrival in a place, from Middle English neowecomen (“just arrived; newcomer”). The intrusive -b is the result of placenames ending in -combe, which is from combe (“wooded valley”).

Proper noun

Newcomb (countable and uncountable, plural Newcombs)

1. A surname from Middle English.
2. A suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
3. An unincorporated community in Talbot County, Maryland, United States.
4. A census-designated place in San Juan County, New Mexico, United States.
5. A town in Essex County, New York, United States.
6. An unincorporated community in Campbell County, Tennessee, United States.

Derived terms

• Newcomb's paradox
• Newcomb's problem

Statistics

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Newcomb is the 2534^th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 14292 individuals. Newcomb is most common among White (92.69%) individuals.

Noun

Newcomb (uncountable)

1. Alternative form of newcomb (“sport resembling volleyball”)

Further reading

• Hanks, Patrick, editor (2003), “Newcomb”, in Dictionary of American Family Names, volume 2, New York City: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 663.