Show ContentsBeel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Beel surname is thought to have been created from one of the places so named (in Northumberland, and in West Yorkshire). The place name derives from the Old English "beo," meaning "bee" and "hyll," meaning "hill." There is also a Norman name Beel derived from the Old French "bel."

Early Origins of the Beel family

The surname Beel was first found in Northumberland. Today Beeley is a village and civil parish in the Derbyshire Dales district of northern Derbyshire, near Bakewell. In the Domesday Book, the place name was listed as Begelie [1]

Also in Northumberland, Beal with Lowlin is a township, in the parish of Kyloe, union of Berwick-Upon-Tweed, in Islandshire. [2] Bealon-the-Hill, is a hamlet in north Durham, close to the sea. "In Testa de Nevill it is spelt Behil, and it is recorded there that Gilbert de Behil held it of the see of Durham." [3] [4]

Raine's History and Antiquities of North Durham notes Thomas de Behil there in 1382 and Laurence Beil in 1517.

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 noted Willelmus Beall as holding lands there at that time. [4]

Early History of the Beel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beel research. Another 61 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1203, 1541, 1601, 1608, 1621, 1632, 1651, 1660, 1664, 1665, 1674, 1683, 1684, 1697, 1699, 1813, 1816, 1820, 1840 and 1854 are included under the topic Early Beel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beel Spelling Variations

During the era when a person's name, tribe and posterity was one of his most important possessions, many different spellings were found in the archives examined. Beel occurred in many references, and spelling variations of the name found included Beal, Beale, Beall, Bealle, Beel, Beele, Beales, Bealer and many more.

Early Notables of the Beel family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was Robert Beale (1541-1601), and English diplomatist and antiquary, said to have been descended from a family settled at Woodbridge in Suffolk. [5]William Beale (died 1651), was an English Royalist churchman, Master in turn of Jesus College, Cambridge and St John's College, Cambridge; John Beale (c.1608-1683), an English clergyman, scientific writer, and early Fellow of the Royal Society; Sir John Beale (1621-1684)...
Another 71 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Beel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Beel migration to the United States +

Gradually becoming disenchanted with life in Ireland many of these uprooted families sailed aboard the armada of sailing ships known as the "White Sails" which plied the stormy Atlantic. These overcrowded ships often arrived with only 60 to 70% of their original passenger list, many dying of illness and the elements, were buried at sea. In North America, early immigrants bearing the family name Beel, or a spelling variation of the surname include:

Beel Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Johan Wilhelm Beel, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1750 [6]
  • Johannes Ludwig Beel, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1750 [6]
  • Peter Beel, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1761 [6]
Beel Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Miss Amy Beel, (b. 1880), aged 23, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Saint Louis" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 26th September 1903 en route to Ironwood, Michigan, USA [7]
  • Mr. Wesley Beel, (b. 1885), aged 20, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "Saint Louis" arriving at Ellis Island, New York in 1905 en route to Eveleth, Minnesota, USA [7]

Australia Beel migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Beel Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • William R Beel, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lady Bruce" in 1846 [8]
  • William Beel, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lady Bruce" in 1846 [8]
  • Mr. Francis Beel, (b. 1834), aged 20, Scottish farm labourer, from Lanark, Scotland, UK travelling aboard the ship "Lady Ann" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 29th September 1854 [9]
  • Mr. William Beel, (b. 1831), aged 25, Cornish farm servant from Dorset, England, UKtravelling from Plymouth, Devon, UK aboard the ship "Aliquis" arriving in Adelaide, Australia on 26th August 1856 [10]
  • William Beel (aged 25) arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Aliquis"

New Zealand Beel migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Beel Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Eliza Beel, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ulcoats" in 1864
  • Miss Amelia Beel, (b. 1863), aged 14, Cornish settler departing on 24th August 1877 aboard the ship "Waitara" going to Westland (Westland District), New Zealand arriving in port on 4th December 1877 [11]
  • Miss Elizabeth Jane Beel, (b. 1858), aged 19, Cornish settler departing on 24th August 1877 aboard the ship "Waitara" going to Westland (Westland District), New Zealand arriving in port on 4th December 1877 [11]
  • Mr. Jacob F. Beel, (b. 1876), aged 1 year 6 months, Cornish settler departing on 24th August 1877 aboard the ship "Waitara" going to Westland (Westland District), New Zealand arriving in port on 4th December 1877 [11]
  • Mr. John Jas. Beel, (b. 1835), aged 42, Cornish farm labourer departing on 24th August 1877 aboard the ship "Waitara" going to Westland (Westland District), New Zealand arriving in port on 4th December 1877 [11]

Contemporary Notables of the name Beel (post 1700) +

  • Charles D. Beel, American politician, Prohibition Candidate for Presidential Elector for New York, 1920 [12]
  • William John Leonard "Len" Beel (b. 1945), English former professional footballer
  • George Beel (1900-1980), English professional footballer


  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  6. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  7. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
  8. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LADY BRUCE 1846. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1846LadyBruce.htm
  9. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nsw_1850_59.pdf
  10. The Ships List Passenger Lists Ship Aliquis (Retrieved 26th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/aliquis1856.shtml
  11. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to other ports, 1872 - 84 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf
  12. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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