Kell Family Crest, Coat of Arms and Name History

Kell Origin:

England

Origins of Kell:

It is a fascinating English surname, but the Scandinavian-Viking origin is older – before the 7th century. It was put down into writing in various spellings like Kell, Kelle, Kells, And Chell, and acquired by the Norse word “Kel” a simple form of the name of a male Ketill. It has a very unusual meaning of the sacrificial cauldron. That said, particular old names frequently had ketil or kell as an essential part, consisting Asketill which means Gods Kettlet, and Thorkell, consisting the religious Gods name of Thor, the God of crashing sounds and wrecking in Scandinavian folklore. According to the early examples of British recordings included Reginaldus filius Chelle in the Lancashire ordinance Rolls of the year 1219, and in the Chartulary of Ramsey Abbey, Cambridgeshire, the Chel filius Mabillae, dated 1250. Surnames originally evolved from given names are with the ancient inherited surnames, and this is an excellent example, having remained the same over so many centuries. The very first examples of the name included Isabella Kelle of Huntingdonshire, in 1311, and Rogerus Kelle, in the Poll Tax records of Yorkshire in the year 1379. A coat of weapons combined with the name has the embellish of a gold shield, on a green chevron, in the mid of a lion passant in essential and two red mullets in the base, three golden feathers.

Variations:

More common variations are: Kelly, Keall, Keill, Kiell, Keell, Kello, Kyell, Kwell, Kuell, Kella.

England:

The origins of the surname Kell were in Hampshire, but the name could have evolved originally from the area Keld of which there are two names in England, that are Keld or Keilde, a small town or city in Cumbria and Keld also derived from another small town or city in North Yorkshire. Another mention area, the name was “anciently written Cail, and spoken by the people to be evolve from Caily in Normandy.

The very first recording spelling of the family was shown to be that of Ansfredus Kelle, dated 1176. It was during the time of King Henry II who was known to be the “Builder of Churches,” dated 1154 – 1189, and took place in “Pipe Rolls of Hampshire.” The origin of surnames during this period became a necessity with the introduction of personal taxation. It came to be known as Poll Tax in England. Surnames all over the country began to develop, with unique and shocking spelling varieties of the original one.

Ireland:

Many of the Kell clan had moved to Ireland during the 17th century.

United States:

People of the Kell surname arrived in the United States in three different centuries respectively in the 17th,18th, and 19th. Individuals who moved in the 17th century included Richard Kell, who landed in Virginia in 1654. Neil Kell, who landed in New Jersey and also sailed to America in 1685 during the 17th century.

Niklaas Kell and Jurg Andries who arrived in New York in 1709 and the same year Georg Wilhelm landed in New Jersey. David Kell sailed Philadelphia in 1742 during the 18th century. Also Joh Geo Kell in Pennsylvania in 1744.

John Kell and John Kell came in the same year in 1811 during the 19th century. Thomas Kell who landed in New York, NY in 1816. James F Kell who arrived in South Carolina in 1823. William Kell landed in Missouri 1842.

Australia:

Thomas Smith Kell, Christopher Smith, Emma Kell, Frances Ann Kell, Frederick Polhill Kell all of these arrived in the same city in Adelaide, Australia in the same year in 1838 during the 19th century, abroad the ship “Rajasthan.”

New-Zealand:

People of the Kell surname moved to New Zealand during the 19th century included Edward James Kell, at the age of 30, a designer, arrived in Nelson abroad the ship “Camperdown” in 1876.

Here is the population distribution of the last name Kell: United States 6,314; England 1,678; Brazil 1,463; Germany 1,345; Cameroon 892; Canada 718; Australia 717; South Africa 566; Russia 445; Estonia 214.

Notable People:

Ayla Kell was an American artist and entertainer. She was born in the year 1990.

Douglas Kell (born 1953), is a British biochemist at the University of Manchester and presently Chief Administrative of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

Frank Kell (1859-1941), was an industrial worker and a businessperson from Wichita Falls, Texas.

Elizabeth Kell was an Australian rower. He was born in 1938.

George Kell (1922–2009), was the third baseman called up into the Baseball Hall of Fame in the year 1983.

Blazons & Genealogy Notes

Or, on a chevron vert between a lion pass, in chief and two mullets in base gules three garbs or.