Peele History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The origins of the Peele name lie with England's ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It comes from when the family lived by the palisade. Peel was a square tower in olden times. 1 2

While the name is generally believed to be Anglo-Saxon, one source notes the name could have been Norman: "Radulphus Pele occurs in Normandy 1180; Robertus Piel 1180-95; William Pele 1198 (Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae). Of these, Robert, son of Robert le Pele (c. t. Henry II.), gave lands in Monk Bretton, York, to the abbey there. From this northern family descended the Peels of Yorkshire and Lancashire, ancestors of the celebrated minister of England, Sir Robert Peel." 3

Early Origins of the Peele family

The surname Peele was first found in Lincolnshire where Walter Pele was registered in the Assize Rolls for 1202. In 1238, Henry Pele was listed in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire and later, Robert Peel was recorded in Nottinghamshire in 1382. Somerset records show Robert de Pele there in 1199. 4

"Many old mansions still bear the name of 'the Peel' in the North of England. Peel Castle in Furness is well known, and no doubt 'John Peel' of Cumberland hunting celebrity got his name from that spot. The name is still well known in that county. " 2

"Within my recollection, almost every old house in the dales of Rede and Tyne was what is called a peel-house, built for securing the inhabitants and their cattle in moss-trooping times." 5

Early History of the Peele family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Peele research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1556, 1565, 1598, 1890 and 1965 are included under the topic Early Peele History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Peele Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Peele were recorded, including Peel, Peal, Peale, Peele and others.

Early Notables of the Peele family

Distinguished members of the family include

George Peele (c1556-1598), Elizabethan translator, poet, and dramatist who some claim collaborated with William Shakespeare on the play Titus Andronicus; and Sir Robert Peel, statesman, who as Home Se...

Peele Ranking

In the United States, the name Peele is the 5,262^nd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Peele family to Ireland

Some of the Peele family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Peele migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Peele family emigrate to North America:

Peele Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Lawrance Peele, who arrived in Virginia in 1623 7
Lawrence Peele, who settled in Virginia in 1623
John Peele, who settled in Virginia in 1652
Luke Peele, who landed in Virginia in 1654 7
Roger Peele, who arrived in Virginia in 1666 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Peele Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Peele, who landed in New York in 1835 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Peele (post 1700) +

Stanton Peele Ph.D., J.D., (b. 1946), American psychologist, attorney, psychotherapist and author
William Walter Peele (1881-1959), American bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South
Randy Peele (b. 1957), American head men's basketball coach at Winthrop University
Beverly Peele (b. 1975), American model and actress
Jordan Peele (b. 1979), American actor and comedian
James F. Peele, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Indiana, 1952 8
John Thomas Peele (1822-1897), British painter specializing in portraits, landscapes, and genre scenes

The Peele 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: Industria
Motto Translation: Industrious.

Citations +

Halliwell, James Orchard. A Dictionary of Archaic and Provincial WordsLondon: John Russel Smith, Old Compton Street, Soho, 1848, Digital, 2 Vols
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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