Atwal History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsOf all the Anglo-Saxon names to come from Britain, Atwal is one of the most ancient. The name is a result of the original family having lived in southeastern England mainly in the counties of Oxfordshire and Cambridgeshire where they were found since the early Middle Ages. 1 The name is toponymic; that is, it is descriptive of the place where the original bearer lived. Literally the name is derived from the Old English atwell, meaning dweller at the well. 2 Another source noted that the name is from "Atte Welle; a location name. Adopted as a surname 1258-1358, Court of Husting, London. " 3 Early Origins of the Atwal familyThe surname Atwal was first found in south eastern England mainly in the counties of Oxfordshire and Cambridgeshire where they held a family seat for many, many centuries. They are recorded as possessing estates before the advent of the Norman Conquest in 1066 A.D. but many of them were lost to their Norman overlords by forfeit. The Eatwell variant is thought to be related to a Hugo de Hetewelle, listed in 1187 in the Pipe Rolls for Derbyshire. 4 There were a multitude of early spellings of the name. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list: Adam Ate Welle, Oxfordshire; and John Atewelle, Cambridgeshire. The Writ of Parliament list: William atte Well, 1313 and John Atwelle. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 lists Willelmus Attewell. In Norfolk, Jef the Franch Atwelle, was rector of Erpingham, Norfolk, 1448 and Hugh Attwyll, was parson of Cawverly, Devon, 1602. 5 Early History of the Atwal familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Atwal research. Another 120 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1258, 1495, 1499, 1609 and 1621 are included under the topic Early Atwal History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Atwal Spelling VariationsThe first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Atwal has been spelled many different ways, including Attwill, Attwell, Atwill, Atwell, Atthill, Athill, Atwool, Attwel and many more. Early Notables of the Atwal familyDistinguished members of the family include John Atwell, Rector of Exeter College, Oxford (1495-1499); and Hugh Atwell (died 1621), an English actor, one of the 'Children of her Majesty's... Migration of the Atwal familyThousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Atwals to arrive in North America: Benjamin Attwell, who settled in New London in Massachusetts in 1638; Ann Attwell, who came to Maryland in 1661; Mary Attwell, sent to Nevis as a servant from Bristol in 1661.
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