Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a nephew.

1813		C. Hutton Miser Married 107: It is not for the sake of the society of my uncle and aunt, though I am a very dutiful and affectionate nevvy.
1817		W. Scott Rob Roy (1883) 166: ‘Never mind these lads laughing, nevoy,’ he continued.
1824		Coventry Herald 19 Nov. 4/4: As soon as he saw the Newcastle constable enter the room [...] Uncle Ben jumped up and swore his Nevey should not go.
1827		Bell’s Life in London 23 Dec. 2/5: Ben Burn and his Nevy discuss’d [...] whether they should not have one boiled [...] The skin was uncommonly tough.
1830		I. Pocock Omnibus I i: pat: It’s your nevey, sir – it’s Masther Tom, sir. led: My nephew!
1832		Satirist (London) 18 Nov. 370/2: [Y]esterday morning my own nevvy got married, and we were all a celebrating my nevvy’s nubtuls.
1836–7		Dickens Pickwick Papers (1999) 587: Being surounded by a great number of nieces and nevys.
1843		R. Carlton New Purchase I 269: The Doctor’s nevy was good pluck.
1843		W.L. Rede Our Village I ii: Get out, you thread-paper! I won’t believe my lord’s nephy’s what you make him out!
1850		Bell’s Life in Sydney 20 Apr. 2/6: The unhappy ‘nevey’ [...] complained bitterly.
1857		C. Kingsley Two Years Ago III 203: Seemed, Sir just like my nevy’s wife’s brother.
1860		‘George Eliot’ Mill on the Floss (1985) I 114: She [...] left it all in a lump to her husband’s nevvy.
1864		‘Edmund Kirke’ Down in Tennessee 217: They [children] is my nevye’s.
1870		E. Greey Queen’s Sailors III 43: Young Tom is my nevvy.
1871		B. Harte ‘Chiquita’ Poems 55: Well, it ain’t six weeks ago the Jedge and his nevey / Struck for that ford in the night, the water all round us.
1887		W.T. Call Josh Hayseed in N.Y. 34: I had a time to git the right idee into the cocoanut of my nevvy Sprouts.
1891		Boys Of The Empire 24 Aug. 360: Was that young shaver your nevvy?
1897		A.H. Lewis Wolfville 23: It’s a nephy or some sech play.
1905		H. Green Actors’ Boarding House (1906) 360: One was Emp’ror Willum’s nevvy.
1914		W.W. Jacobs ‘Easy Money’ Monkey’s Paw (1962) 281: The nevvy came round next evening.
1926		Breton & Bevir Adventures of Mrs. May 81: ’Orace were me nevvy.
1929		W.D. Edmonds Rome Haul 49: He’s Nell’s nephey.
1938		X. Herbert Capricornia (1939) 66: I’m fawster fawther y’l lil nevvy No-name — so’m fawster brother t’you.