Fels History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany
Scotland

The name was derived from the place named Fell in Cumberland which in turn was derived from the Icelandic name "fell" which meant a "fell or wild hill."

Early Origins of the Fels family

The surname Fels was first found in Dundee where "the Fells afford an instance of an occupation being hereditary in a family, the earliest recorded of the name i.e. in Dundee being Finlay Fell, butcher, who was admitted burgess on 7th June 1533. The trade descended from father to son for more than a century." 1

"This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'at the fell,' from residence on or near the fell; 'by frith and fell,' a common phrase in early poetry; a fell was a hill or moor open and unenclosed. Sheep that graze on such scanty pastures are called fell-sheep in Furness. " 2

Early History of the Fels family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fels research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1584, 1598, 1614, 1625, 1649, 1658, 1686, 1700 and 1702 are included under the topic Early Fels History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fels Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Fell, Fells and others.

Early Notables of the Fels family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Samuel Fell D.D. (1584-1649), an English academic and clergyman, Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford; Thomas Fell (1598-1658), vice-chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster; John Fell (1625-1686), an English churchman, Dean...
Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fels Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fels migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Fels Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Christian Fels, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1777
Elisa Fels, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1794 3

Fels Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Franz W. Fels, who settled in Kentucky in 1844
Elis Fels, who settled in Cincinnati in 1844
Elis Fels, who arrived in Cincinnati, Oh in 1844 3
Franz W Fels, who landed in Kentucky in 1844 3
M Theresia Fels, who landed in Kentucky in 1844 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Fels (post 1700) +

Samuel Simeon Fels (b. 1860), the youngest son of Lazarus and Susanna Fels, born in Yanceyville, became one of the most prominent North Carolina soap manufacturers
Joseph Fels Ritt (1893-1951), American mathematician at Columbia University

Historic Events for the Fels family +

Bismarck

Karl Fels (1918-1941), German Matrosenobergefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 4

Citations +

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)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)
Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details