Durrell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The Durrell family name first began to be used in the German state of Bavaria. After the 12th century, hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules, and names that were derived from locations became particularly common. The family name Durrell is a local surname. Originally denoting the proprietorship of an estate or influence within a village, the German preposition von, which means from or of, used with local names, was taken as a mark of aristocracy. The surname Durrell was given to someone who lived on a dry, barren land. The name Durrell is derived from the Old German word durri and the German word dürre, which mean barren or infertile.

Early Origins of the Durrell family

The surname Durrell was first found in Franconia, where the name Duerer could be considered to make a great early contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of early development of Europe. The name became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses which played important roles in the tribal and national conflicts, each group seeking power and status in an ever changing territorial profile.

Early History of the Durrell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Durrell research. Another 179 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1471, 1528, 1690, 1784 and 1856 are included under the topic Early Durrell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Durrell Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Durrell include Durr, Duerer, Duere, Duerr, Duer, Dur, Durre, Duerre, Dueren, Duerman and many more.

Early Notables of the Durrell family

Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Durrell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Durrell migration to the United States +

The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from Bavaria who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. For many Bavarian tenant farmers, the chance to own their own land was a major incentive. So the widespread colonization of the United States began in 1650, when many immigrants from Germany settled in pockets in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. In Canada, German settlement centered in Ontario and the prairie provinces. Among those of this surname listed in various historical records were:

Durrell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Durrell, who landed in Maryland in 1680 1

Durrell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Philip Durrell, who arrived in New England in 1700 1

Durrell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

B M Durrell, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Durrell (post 1700) +

Michael Durrell (b. 1943), American actor, best known for his role of attorney Peter Wexler on CBS in the soap opera The Guiding Light
Richard J. Durrell (1925-2008), American advertising executive, one of the founding staff members for People magazine
Lee McGeorge Durrell MBE (b. 1949), American naturalist, author, zookeeper and television presenter
David M. Durrell, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Hudson County, 1882 2
Ms. Susan Glover Durrell M.B.E., British Consultant Physiotherapist for Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire on 29th December 2018 for services to Physiotherapy 3
James A. Durrell CM, Canadian politician, 53rd Mayor of Ottawa from 1985 to 1991
Louisa Dixie Durrell (1886-1964), born Louisa Florence Dixie, the mother of novelist Lawrence Durrell and naturalist Gerald Durrell
Lawrence Samuel Durrell (1884-1928), British Indian subject and engineer, father of Gerald Durrell
Lawrence George Durrell (1912-1990), British novelist, poet, dramatist, and travel writer
Jacqueline "Jackie" Sonia Durrell (b. 1929), the first wife of Gerald Durrell
... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists