Contents [hide]

Kell History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Kell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Anglo-Saxon name Kell comes from the family having resided near a well or spring; keld was a common word in the north of England for these. According to some experts, the surname Kell is also occasionally derived from the Old Norse word ketill, which means cauldron and sometimes refers to such an object used in sacrificial rites. 1

Early Origins of the Kell family

The surname Kell was first found in Hampshire, but the name could have derived from the place name Keld of which there are two in England: Keld (or Keilde), a hamlet in Cumbria; and Keld, another hamlet in North Yorkshire. Another reference claims the name was "formerly written Cail, and said by the family to be derived from Cailly in Normandy. " 2

Early History of the Kell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kell research. Another 158 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1176, 1311, 1379, 1524, 1739 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Kell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kell Spelling Variations

Kell 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. Spelling variants included: Kell, Kel, Kelle, Keld and others.

Early Notables of the Kell family

Distinguished members of the family include

Ansfredus Kelle, a prominent 12th century landholder in Hampshire

Kell Ranking

In the United States, the name Kell is the 4,964^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Kell family to Ireland

Some of the Kell 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.

Kell 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 Kells to arrive on North American shores:

Kell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Richard Kell, who landed in Virginia in 1654 4
Neil Kell, who landed in New Jersey in 1685 4
Neil Kell, who sailed to America in 1685

Kell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Niklaas Kell, who arrived in New York in 1709 4
Georg Wilhelm Kell, who landed in New Jersey in 1709 4
Jurg Andries Kell, who arrived in New York in 1709 4
David Kell, who sailed to Philadelphia in 1742
Joh Geo Kell, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1744 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Kell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Kell, who landed in New York in 1811
John Kell, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811 4
Thomas Kell, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 4
James F Kell, who arrived in South Carolina in 1823 4
William Kell, aged 34, who landed in Missouri in 1842 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Kell migration to Australia +

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

Kell Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Edmund Kell, British Convict who was convicted in London, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 20th July 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
Thomas Smith Kell, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Rajasthan" in 1838 6
Christopher Smith Kell, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Rajasthan" in 1838 6
Emma Kell, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Rajasthan" in 1838 6
Frances Ann Kell, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Rajasthan" in 1838 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Kell 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:

Kell Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

E.L. Kell, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Royal Stuart" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand in 1855 7
Edward James Kell, aged 30, a tailor, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Camperdown" in 1876

Contemporary Notables of the name Kell (post 1700) +

Raymond Davis "Ray" Kell, American television researcher at RCA who developed the Kell factor, recipient of the Stuart Ballantine Medal in 1948
Paul Ernest Kell (1915-1977), American National Football League player in the 1940s
Ayla Marie Kell (b. 1990), American actress, best known for the role of Payson Keeler in the ABC series Make It or Break It
Everett Lee "Skeeter" Kell (b. 1929), American former Major League Baseball second baseman
Curtis Chip Kell (b. 1949), American former center in the CFL, inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006
George Kell (b. 1922), American former Major League Baseball third baseman, in the '40s and '50s he was considered the best third baseman in the American League
James Kell, American Republican politician, Postmaster at York, Pennsylvania, 1884-88 8
George V. Kell (1846-1918), American politician, Member of Indiana State House of Representatives, 1895-97; Member of Indiana State Senate, 1899-1901 8
Ernest Eugene Kell Jr. (b. 1928), American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Long Beach, California, 1984-94 8
David C. Kell, American Republican politician, Chair of Perry County Republican Party, 1927 8
... (Another 12 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th February 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1837
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) RAJASTHAN 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838Rajasthan.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 27) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html