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Show ContentsSearle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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When the ancestors of the Searle family emigrated to England following the Norman Conquest in 1066 they brought their family name with them. They lived in Cornwall. Their name, however, is a reference to Serlo, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. However, may of the family remained in Normandy as seen by Robert Sorel who was listed there (1180-1195.) 1

Early Origins of the Searle family

The surname Searle was first found in Cornwall where the name can be found from ancient times as both a surname and a forename. Sarlo Iuuenis was one of the first on record in 1091-1093. 2

"Thankes or Thancks, a delightful residence in the [parish of Antony in East, Cornwall] is situated near Torpoint, on the margin of the Hamoaze. This place originally took its name from a family called Thomke, who resided on it, and to whom it was enfranchised in the reign of Henry V. From the Thonke family it passed to the Searles, and from the Searles it was conveyed to the Warne family." 3

In the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, the name continues to be found in both ways: Sarle Tinctor in Huntingdonshire and Matilda Sarle in Cambridgeshire. 4

There is a history of an association with clergy as shown by Robert Saryll, clericus in 1412 in Yorkshire, and few years later in the same area Thomas Serle, capallanus, filius Roberti Sarle, clerici in 1438. 2

One would presume that these latter two listings were father and son who both followed the same profession.

Early History of the Searle family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Searle research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1620, 1656, 1659, 1683, 1777, 1789, 1796, 1797, 1798, 1799, 1800, 1802 and 1849 are included under the topic Early Searle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Searle Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Searle have been found, including Searle, Searles, Searl, Sarl, Sarrell, Serrell and others.

Early Notables of the Searle family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • Anthony Searle of Thanks at the time of King Richard III; and Samuel Serle (1620-1683), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Honiton (1656-1659.)
  • Thomas Searle (1777-1849), was a British rear-admiral, "son of James Searle of Staddlescombe, Devonshire, was born on 29 May 1777. He entered the navy in November 1789, served on the Mediterranean, ho...

Searle World Ranking

In the United States, the name Searle is the 5,474th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 5 However, in Australia, the name Searle is ranked the 590th most popular surname with an estimated 6,593 people with that name. 6 And in New Zealand, the name Searle is the 535th popular surname with an estimated 1,302 people with that name. 7 The United Kingdom ranks Searle as 745th with 8,988 people. 8

Ireland Migration of the Searle family to Ireland

Some of the Searle family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

United States Searle migration to the United States +

For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Searle were among those contributors:

Searle Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Brigett Searle, who landed in Virginia in 1622 9
  • Bridget Searle, who settled in Virginia in 1623 with her husband
  • Francis and John Searle, who settled in Virginia in 1635
  • Francis Searle, aged 28, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Paul" 9
  • Jon Searle, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 9
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Searle Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Tho Searle, who landed in Virginia in 1705 9
Searle Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Searle, aged 19, who arrived in New York in 1812 9
  • Mr. James Searle, (b. 1818), aged 30, Cornish settler departing from Penzance aboard the ship "Cornwall" arriving in the United States on 18th October 1848 10
  • Mrs. Martha Searle, (b. 1809), aged 40, Cornish settler departing from Penzance aboard the ship "Cornwall" arriving in the United States on 23rd August 1849 10
  • Miss Mary J. Searle, (b. 1846), aged 3, Cornish settler departing from Penzance aboard the ship "Cornwall" arriving in the United States on 23rd August 1849 10
  • S Searle, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 9
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Searle Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Mr. John Searle, (b. 1870), aged 30, Cornish labourer travelling aboard the ship "St Louis" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 8th September 1900 en route to New York, USA 11
  • Mr. Richard Searle, (b. 1875), aged 25, Cornish blacksmith travelling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 15th April 1900 en route to Calumet, Michigan, USA 11
  • Mr. William Searle, (b. 1867), aged 33, Cornish mason travelling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 5th May 1900 en route to Ishpeming, Michigan, USA 11
  • Mr. William Henry Searle, (b. 1870), aged 33, Cornish gardener from Gulval, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Philadelphia" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 29th August 1903 en route to Houghton, Michigan, USA 11
  • Mrs. Mary Jane Searle, (b. 1861), aged 42, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 24th May 1903 en route to Hancock, Michigan, USA 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Searle migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Searle Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Robert Searle, (b. 1832), aged 23, Cornish labourer departing from Falmouth destined for Quebec, Canada aboard the ship "Barque John" on 3rd May 1855 which sank after striking the reef, he died in the sinking 12

Australia Searle migration to Australia +

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

Searle Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Robert Searle, English convict from Devon, who was transported aboard the "Arab" on July 3, 1822, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 13
  • Mr. Robert Searle (b. 1806), aged 26, Cornish settler convicted in Cornwall, UK on 7th August 1832, sentenced for life for stealing cattle, transported aboard the ship "Neva" on 27th July 1833 to New South Wales, Australia 14
  • Mr. James Searle, (b. 1811), aged 22, English labourer who was convicted in Essex, England for life for house breaking, transported aboard the "Captain Cook" on 2nd May 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 15
  • John Searle, English convict from Cambridge, who was transported aboard the "Agincourt" on July 6, 1844, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 16
  • Mr. James Searle, (b. 1824), aged 25, Cornish millwright departing on 29th January 1849 aboard the ship "Sir George Seymouth" arriving in Port Henry, Geelong, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 14th May 1849 17
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Searle Settlers in Australia in the 20th Century
  • Miss Elizabeth Searle, (b. 1867), aged 39, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Ormuz" arriving in Queensland, Australia on 7th June 1906 18

New Zealand Searle 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:

Searle Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. George Searle, (b. 1836), aged 20, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Sir Edward Paget" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd July 1856 19
  • J Searle, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Joseph Fletcher" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 18th August 1859 20
  • Mr. Isaac Searle, (b. 1840), aged 23, British labourer travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 16th February 1864 20
  • Thomas Searle, aged 24, a farmer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Eveline" in 1865 21
  • William Searle, aged 22, a bootmaker, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Eveline" in 1865 21
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Searle (post 1700) +

  • John Rogers Searle (b. 1932), American philosopher and Rhodes Scholar
  • George Mary Searle (1839-1918), American astronomer
  • Charles Edward Searle (1828-1902), English Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University from 1888 to 1889
  • David Harry Searle CM QC (1936-2021), Canadian politician and lawyer from the Northwest Territories
  • Rear-Admiral Thomas Searle (1777-1849), British Naval officer, son of James Searle of Staddlescombe, Devonshire
  • Ron Searle (1919-2015), British-born Canadian politician, 4th Mayor of Mississauga (1976-1978)
  • Shayle Robert Searle (b. 1928), New Zealand born Professor Emeritus of Biological Statistics at Cornell University
  • Ronald Searle CBE, RDI (b. 1920), English artist and cartoonist
  • Humphrey Searle (1915-1982), British composer
  • Roger Searle Payne (1935-2023), American biologist and environmentalist famous for his 1967 co-discovery of whale song among humpback whales
Empress of Ireland
  • Miss Eva Searle (1874-1914), American Second Class Passenger from Seattle, Washington, United States who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 22
HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. William John Searle, British Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and died in the sinking 23
  • Mr. S Searle, British Boy, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 23
HMS Royal Oak
  • John Gilbert Searle (1912-1939), British Able Seaman with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 24

Suggested Readings for the name Searle +

  • The Searle Family by Elishu Blackman.
  1. 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)
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
  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. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  6. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  7. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  8. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  9. 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)
  10. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
  11. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
  12. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/wreck_of_emigrant_ship_john_1855.pdf
  13. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Arab voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1822 with 155 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/arab/1822
  14. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_convicts.pdf
  15. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/captain-cook
  16. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 24) Agincourt voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1844 with 226 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/agincourt/1844
  17. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_victoria.pdf
  18. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_queensland.pdf
  19. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  20. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  21. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 4th November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  22. Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
  23. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
  24. Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
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