Snel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The name Snel is rooted in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It was a name for someone who was a brisk or active person. Snel is a nickname surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Nicknames form a broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, and can refer directly or indirectly to one's personality, physical attributes, mannerisms, or even their habits of dress. This surname comes from the Old English word smell, which means quick or lively or a descendant of Snell (strong, smart). 1

Early Origins of the Snel family

The surname Snel was first found in Devon and Cornwall. 2 However, nicknames typically are found throughout ancient England, but in this case, the name was "in use before the Conquest." 3

By example, Johannes filius Snel was found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1196 and Alexander filius Snell was listed in the Assize Rolls for Yorkshire in 1219, but William Snel was a Templar in Kent in 1185 and Edwinus Snell was listed in the Feet of Fines for Norfolk in 1195. 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Snel in Derbyshire and William Snell in Oxfordshire. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Johannes Snell, Willelmus Snell and Ricardus Snell as all holding lands there at that time. 5

Further to the north in Scotland, William Snelle was master of the ship Seinte Marie of Dundee in 1390, William Snell, presbyter Glasguensis, was a notary public in 1449 and Schire William Snell, chaplain, was burgess of Prestwick in 1470. 6

"The Cornish Snells are represented in the district of Liskeard. Snel was a name found in Oxfordshire, Derbyshire, and Shropshire in the 13th century." 2

Early History of the Snel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Snel research. Another 154 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1623, 1629, 1638, 1679, 1685, 1694, 1700, 1701, 1702, 1708 and 1717 are included under the topic Early Snel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Snel Spelling Variations

Snel has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Snel have been found, including Snell, Snel and others.

Early Notables of the Snel family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Sir John Snell (1629-1679), Scottish-born, son of Andrew Snell, smith at McCalanstone in the parish of Colmonell, Ayrshire, founder of the Snell Exhibitions at the University of Oxford
George Snell (died 1701), English clergyman, Canon of Exeter Cathedral (1685-1700), Archdeacon of Totnes (1694 until his death in 1701)

Snel Ranking

In Netherlands, the name Snel is the 361^st most popular surname with an estimated 4,378 people with that name. 7

Snel migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Snels to arrive on North American shores:

Snel Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Mathys Snel, who landed in New York in 1709 8

Snel migration to Australia +

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

Snel Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mrs. Grace Snel, (b. 1833), aged 22, Cornish settler departing from Plymouth on 21st October 1854 aboard the ship "Oithona" arriving in Portland, Victoria, Australia on 30th January 1855 9

The Snel 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: In cruce victoria
Motto Translation: Victorious in the Cross.

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)
"Most Common Last Names in Netherlands." Forebears, https://forebears.io/netherlands/surnames
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_victoria.pdf