Anwell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Wales

Early Origins of the Anwell family

The surname Anwell was first found in Chirk, where the family name was first referenced in the year 1391 when Jevan Anwyl held estates in Chirk. Alternatively, the family could have originated at Enville, a parish, in the union of Seisdon in Staffordshire. 1

"This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Anwyl.' This is a Welsh surname, and as at least ninety-five per cent, of its nomenclature is baptismal, I feel bound to place it under that class; but I have not met with the name in early records." 2

Literally, the name means "beloved, dear." 3 4

At one time, the ancient mansion of Parc, in the parish of Llanfrothen was for many generations the home of the Anwyls (Anwyl of Llugwy)

The Annals and antiquities of the counties and county families of Wales (1872) notes:

"The ancient family of Anwyl have resided at Llugwy from the time when Maurice Anwyl (circa 1695) m. Joan, the heiress of that place, but previously for many ages at Parc, in the parish of Llanfrothen, in the same county of Merionethshire. There Lewys Dwnn, Deputy Herald, found them, in the 16th Century, when pursuing his Heraldic Visitation of Wales; and there they had then been seated for several generations. Their lineage is from Owain Gwynedd, the illustrious Prince of North Wales (12th cent.), son of Prince Gruffudd ap Cynan, of the direct line (through the eldest son, Anarawd) of Rhodri Mawr, King, first of N. Wales, then of all Wales (9th cent.)."

"The mansion of Llugwy, pleasantly situated on the banks of Dovey (Dyfi), is very ancient, but of date unknown. The older abode of the Anwyls, Pare (Parc), near Penrhy-deudraeth, although long neglected, has not altogether disappeared. It is approached by a drive more than a mile in length."

Early History of the Anwell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Anwell research. Another 54 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1611, 1645 and 1695 are included under the topic Early Anwell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Anwell Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Anwyl, Anvil, Henville, Envill, Henville, Hanvill, Envill and many more.

Early Notables of the Anwell family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was John Anwyl, Esquire of LLanfendigaid; William Lewis Anwyl of Pre, Sherrif of Merioneth in 1611; and Richard Anwyl...
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Anwell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Anwell family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..

The Anwell 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: Virtus vera nobilitas
Motto Translation: Virtue is true nobility.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print