Contents [hide]

Churchill History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Churchill History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Churchill is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Churchill family lived in Somerset in the town of Curcelle. The name Curcelle is of Norman origin, but once in England became confused with name Churchill, which derives from the Old English cyrice, which means church, and hyll, which means hill. The histories of the two names are now inextricably linked.

"The Churchills of Dorset, ancestors of the great Duke of Marlborough, are traceable, by the ordinary heralds' pedigrees, to the reign of Henry VII., bearing a lion rampant, debruised by a bendlet. Prior to this, they were of Devon and Somerset, still bearing the same arms. The Churchills of Devon descended from Elias de Chirchille, temp. Edward I. who married the heiress of Widworthy." 1

Early Origins of the Churchill family

The surname Churchill was first found in Somerset where one of the first records of the name was Richard de Churchulle who was listed there in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. During King Edward III's reign (1327-1377), Nicolas de Churchhull was also listed as holding lands there. 2

Another source claims "the distinguished Dorset family of Churchill, whence sprang the Duke of Marlborough, resided at Mintern in the 16th and 17th centuries." 3 And another claims "Roger de Corcelles [was] a great Domesday tenant in the western counties, the ancestor of the Dukes of Marlborough. Churchill has, however, a sufficiently English aspect, and as we find four parishes in different counties so called, we need hardly seek for a Norman origin." 4

This latter quote needs some explanation. The author (Mark Anthony Lower) argues that while yet another source claims the name to be Norman in origin, he feels that the name is presumably Anglo-Saxon in origin. To us, the lion's share of sources claim that the family is of Norman origin and we agree.

Early History of the Churchill family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Churchill research. Another 110 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1620, 1622, 1650, 1656, 1661, 1679, 1682, 1686, 1688, 1703, 1714 and 1722 are included under the topic Early Churchill History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Churchill Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Churchill, Churchell and others.

Early Notables of the Churchill family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Sir Winston Churchill FRS (1620-1688), known as the Cavalier Colonel, an English soldier, historian, and politician, ancestor of his 20th-century namesake, Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill
John Churchill (1622-1682), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Dorchester (1661-1679)
General Charles Churchill (1656-1714), an English army officer who served during the War of the Spanish Succession
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, Prince of Mindelheim, KG, PC (1650-1722), an English soldier and statesman

Churchill Ranking

In the United States, the name Churchill is the 2,738^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 5 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Churchill is ranked the 140^th most popular surname with an estimated 270 people with that name. 6

Churchill migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Churchill or a variant listed above:

Churchill Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Josiah Churchill, who arrived in Connecticut in 1635 7
Josiah Churchill, who settled in Wethersfield Connecticut in 1638
John Churchill, who landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1643 7
Samuel Churchill, who settled in New England in 1654
Roger Churchill, who settled in Virginia in 1663
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Churchill Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Sarah Churchill, who arrived in Boston Massachusetts with two children in 1765
John Churchill, who arrived in New England in 1767

Churchill Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Otis Churchill, who landed in New York in 1841 7
Mrs. J Churchill, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 7
J S Churchill, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 7
G Churchill, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 7
Dr. Churchill, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Churchill migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Churchill Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Joseph Churchill, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1749-1752

Churchill Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Carmel Churchill, who arrived in Canada in 1828
Cyrus Churchill, who arrived in Canada in 1828
James H Churchill, who arrived in Canada in 1839

Churchill migration to Australia +

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

Churchill Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Edward Churchill, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Ann" on August 1809, settling in New South Wales, Australia 8
Mr. William Churchill, (b. 1811), aged 21 who was convicted in Somerset, England for life for house breaking, transported aboard the "Circassian" on 4th November 1832, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
Joseph Churchill, English convict from Sussex, who was transported aboard the "Arab" on February 22, 1834, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 10
Mr. Anthony Churchill, (b. 1815), aged 22, English plasterer who was convicted in London, England for 7 years for pick pocketing, transported aboard the "Charles Kerr" on 6th June 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
William Churchill, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Poictiers" in 1848 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Churchill 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:

Churchill Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

William Churchill, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
Miss Churchill, (b. 1864), aged Infant, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "British Empire" arriving in Lyttelton, South Island, New Zealand on 6th September 1864 13
Mrs. Ann Churchill, (b. 1838), aged 26, British domestic servant travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "British Empire" arriving in Lyttelton, South Island, New Zealand on 6th September 1864 13

Contemporary Notables of the name Churchill (post 1700) +

Prime Minister Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (1874-1965), World War II Prime Minister of England, regarded as one of the greatest statesmen of the 20th century
James Paul Churchill (1924-2020), American jurist, Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (1989-2020)
Thomas James Churchill (1824-1905), American Confederate major general during the American Civil War and the 13th Governor of the state of Arkansas (1881-1883)
Ward LeRoy Churchill (b. 1947), American author and political activist
Winston Churchill (1871-1947), American historian novelist
Fay E. Churchill, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Michigan, 1944 14
E. W. Churchill, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from California, 1916 14
Cynthia M. Churchill, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Michigan State Senate 18th District, 1974 14
Clark Churchill, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Arizona Territory, 1884 14
Charles Churchill, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1880 14
... (Another 43 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Churchill family +

Grover Shoe factory

Mr. Ralph Churchill, American employee of the Grover Shoe factory in Brockton, Massachusetts on 20th March 1905 when the boiler exploded and collapsed the wooden building; he survived by leaping from the 3rd story window 15

Halifax Explosion

Mrs. Isabella Churchill (1853-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 16
Mrs. Eugene York Churchill (1891-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 16

HMS Hood

Mr. Ronald J Churchill (b. 1923), English Ordinary Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Salisbury, Kent, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 17

The Churchill 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: Fiel pero disdichado
Motto Translation: Faithful though unfortunate.

Citations +

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)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
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)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Ann voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1809 with 200 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/ann/1809
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 8th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/circassian
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Arab voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1834 with 230 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/arab/1834
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 1st February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/charles-kerr
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) POICTIERS 1848. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1848Poictiers.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
California Digital Newspaper from 21st March 1905 (retrieved on 5th August 2021.) Retrieved from https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SFC19050321.2.19&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm