Show ContentsArundale History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Arundale is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Arundale family lived in Arundel in the west of the county of Sussex. This place name is thought to be derived from the Old English words, hoar, meaning gray, hune, which described a variety of plant, and dell, meaning valley. 1

Early Origins of the Arundale family

The surname Arundale was first found in the counties of Sussex in southern England, and Somerset, Dorset, and Wiltshire, to the west. The Earls of Arundel came into England in 1066, with the Conqueror, and acquired much land, descended are the Lords Arundel of Wardour.

"Linchmere [in Sussex] was held as of the honour of Arundel, by William de Perci, at an early period, and afterwards became the property of the family of Fitzalan." 2

The family name derives from the western branch of Somerset, Dorset, and Wiltshire, where they held about twenty lordships during the taking of the Domesday Book in 1086. "A Norman family, which for centuries has flourished in the West of England, traced by Dugdale to 'Rogerius Arundel,' mentioned in Domesday." 3

"According to Domesday Book, Roger de Arundel was found to be possessed of twenty-eight lordships in Somerset, 20 William the Conqueror, and he no doubt was the Norman whose name appears on the roll [of Battel Abbey]. " 4

St. Michael in Cornwall was an early homestead of the family. "The ancient name of this place was Modeshole, under which appellation John de Arundell, in 1301, certified his right to a market and fair here, which had been previously granted to Walter de Raleigh." 2

"The Arundells are amongst the few Cornish families of Norman origin, and there are still fewer of French extraction who have for so long a period as at least five or six centuries been, like them, traceable in that county. 'The Great Arundells' as they were styled - appear to have settled in Cornwall, about the middle of the thirteenth century, at the place so called (now the site of a nunnery.)" 5

And another branch of the family was found in Lifton, Devon since early times. "The manor and lordship were, by grant of Edward VI., vested in the ancestors of W. A. H. Arundell, Esq., the present proprietor." 2

"Another manor called Tregarne Condurra, which is partly in this parish, and partly in St. Keverne, St. Martin's, Manaccan, Budock, and Mawgan, formerly belonged to the Earls of Cornwall. From these it became the property of the Arundells of Lanherne, in which family it continued until the year 1737." 6

Early History of the Arundale family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Arundale research. Another 125 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1315, 1353, 1373, 1376, 1386, 1388, 1389, 1391, 1396, 1397, 1398, 1399, 1405, 1407, 1410, 1414, 1418, 1495, 1504, 1522, 1549, 1555, 1558, 1561, 1576, 1580, 1607, 1613, 1616, 1636, 1640, 1641, 1656, 1660, 1687, 1694 and 1701 are included under the topic Early Arundale History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Arundale Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Arrundell, Arundell, Arundel, Arundelle, Aringale, Arringale, Arrundale, Arrindell, Arindale, Arungale, Erringdale, Erundell and many more.

Early Notables of the Arundale family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Thomas Arundel (1353-1414), Archbishop of Canterbury in 1397 and from 1399 until his death, an outspoken opponent of the Lollards, Bishop of Ely (1373), elevated to the position of Archbishop of York (1388), served twice as Lord Chancellor (1386-1389) and (1391-1396), in 1396 he was made Archbishop of Canterbury, within a year, he was exiled by the king, he spent it in Florence, where at Richard II's request, the Roman Pope Boniface IX translated him to become Bishop of St. Andrews (1398), which was an empty fate because Scotland realized it already had...
Another 194 words (14 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Arundale Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Arundale family to Ireland

Some of the Arundale family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 62 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Arundale migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Arundale or a variant listed above:

Arundale Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Agnes Arundale, aged 7, who landed in America, in 1894
  • Eliz. A. Arundale, aged 30, who settled in America, in 1894
  • Ethel Arundale, aged 1, who landed in America, in 1894
Arundale Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • George Arundale, who immigrated to the United States, in 1911
  • Walter Harry Arundale, aged 23, who immigrated to the United States from Dunkinfield, England, in 1911
  • Maud Arundale, aged 23, who settled in America, in 1913

Australia Arundale migration to Australia +

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

Arundale Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Arundale (post 1700) +

  • Francis Arundale (1807-1853), English architectural draughtsman, born in London 9 Aug. 1807, a pupil of Augustus Pugin; he accompanied his master to Normandy, and helped him with his ‘Architectural Antiquities of Normandy.' 8
  • Francesca Arundale (1847-1924), English theosophist and freemason
  • Sybil Arundale (1879-1965), English stage and film actress
  • Dr. George Sidney Arundale (1878-1945), English president of the Theosophical Society Adyar


The Arundale 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: De hirundine
Motto Translation: From the swallow.


  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
  4. Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
  5. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  6. Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
  8. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 6 June 2019


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