He was the first head family (Kozuke Genji [the Minamoto clan]) of the Nitta clan and named himself Yoshishige NITTA as he was based in Nitta no sho (manor) in Kozuke Province.
新田氏本宗家（上野源氏）の初代であり、上野国新田荘を本拠としたため新田義重と称する。