Christel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

Christel is an ancient Anglo-Saxon surname that came from Christopher, an ancient and popular font name which has been common since the 12th century. 1 Another source claims the name was "derived from a geographical locality. 'of Cristall.' I cannot find the spot, but Yorkshire seems to have been the home of the surname." 2

Early Origins of the Christel family

The surname Christel was first found in Yorkshire where one of the first records of the name was Robert de Cristall who was registered in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 2

Scotland was another homeland for the family and in this case, "it is certainly a diminutive or pet form of Christopher. The first form was an old surname in Foveran and it was not uncommon in Prestwick, Ayrshire, in the fifteenth century" 3

Early History of the Christel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Christel research. Another 96 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1470, 1474, 1487, 1491, 1535, 1567, 1650, 1672 and 1790 are included under the topic Early Christel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Christel Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Christel has been recorded under many different variations, including Chrystal, Cristall, Cristoll, Cristole, Cristell, Crystal, Crystall, MacCrystall, MacCristall and many more.

Early Notables of the Christel family

Notables of the family at this time include Thomas Crystall, (d. 1535) the twenty second abbot of a Cistercian monastery of Kinloss, near Forres in Moray. "Crystall was born in Culross in Perthshire, and educated in its monastery, a house of the Cistercians, where his talents, especially for music, attracted the attention of James Rait, the abbot, and his brother William, a skilled musician...
Another 64 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Christel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Christel migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Christel or a variant listed above:

Christel Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Afra Christel, who arrived in New York, NY in 1848 4
Genofeva Christel, aged 35, who landed in New York, NY in 1848 4
Georg Christel, aged 9, who arrived in New York, NY in 1848 4
Marik Christel, aged 3, who landed in New York, NY in 1848 4
Sebastian Christel, aged 40, who landed in New York, NY in 1848 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Christel (post 1700) +

Christel Apostel (1935-2022), German politician from Duisburg, Rhineland, Prussia, Germany, member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, she served as Landrat of Wesel from 1994 to 1996
Christel Magdalena Huber (1944-2021), German film actress, winner of the Filmband in Gold in 1975, known for Under the Pavement Lies the Strand, The Serpent's Egg and The Garden
Christel Irick, American makeup artist, known for Dumplin' (2018), Freaky (2020), Robbie (2020) and Country Line (2017)
Christel DeHaan (1942-2020), German-born American businesswoman, philanthropist and owner of Resort Condominiums International
Christel Steffin (1940-1960), German bronze medalist swimmer at the 1960 Summer Olympics
Christel Highland, American set costumer
Christel Bodenstein (b. 1938), German film actress

The Christel Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Mens conscia recti
Motto Translation: A mind conscious of rectitude.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
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)