Neyt family

The Neyt family is an old and noble Brunanter family of German origin.

History
The family's ancestors are said to have come fromNey, a village in the Rheinland area of Germany. Originally having the Ney surname, some of them moved to Dutch territories and changed the name to Neyt. In Brunant the first Neyt family members to come were Gerhardus Neyt (1384-1450) and his half-brother, Adriaan Neyt (1387-1446). Gerhard would sit at the Convention of Grijzestad and sign the Declaration of Independence. Adriaan was a painter who would later paint The Convention of Grijzestad in the 1440s. The descendants of Gerhard would adopt the name "van Neyt" to distinguish themselves from their "lesser" relatives. Both branches of the family would later become part of high society.

Notable members

 * Johannes Neyt the Elder (1597-1648), famous portraitist
 * Johannes Neyt the Younger (1624-1686), military commander during the Brunanter Civil War
 * Hendrik Neyt (1778-1844), fourth President of Brunant
 * Pieter Van Neyt, Baron Neyt (1828-1909), elected president for three terms
 * Augusta Van Neyt (1863-1948), first woman elected to congress