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Show ContentsBell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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The surname Bell was first used as a surname by the people of ancient French region of Gascogne. It was a name for a person distinguished by great physical beauty. Interestingly, the name Bell was originally derived from the French words, "la belle," which means, " the beautiful."

Early Origins of the Bell family

The surname Bell was first found in Gascony (French: Gascogne), an area of southwest France bordering Spain, that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution, where they held a family seat in the honor of the seigneurie of De Labels, a village in the Basses-Pyrénées in the arrondisement of de Mauléon.

The Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae also lists Le Bel in Normandy in 1189. 1 One of the earliest notables of the family was Jean Le Bel (c. 1290-1370), a Flemish chronicle and soldier. He was one of the first chroniclers to write in French instead of Latin. As a soldier, he joined with Jean, Count de Beaumont on his travels to England and Scotland in 1327.

Guillaume Labelle, son of Jean and Marie (née Loye), was a French farmer that travelled from Saint-Elei, Normandy to Canada in the 17th century. After arriving in Quebec he married Anne Charbonneau in Montreal on 23rd November 1671. They had eleven children together and five of their sons eventually married and carried on the name Labelle in Canada. 2

Early History of the Bell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bell research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1573, 1650, 1674, 1696, 1703, 1734 and 1768 are included under the topic Early Bell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bell Spelling Variations

French surnames were subject to numerous alterations in spelling because of the various cultural groups that inhabited specific regions. Eventually, each region possessed its own local dialect of the French language. The early development of the French language, however, was also influenced by other languages. For example, Old French was infused with Germanic words and sounds when barbarian tribes invaded and settled in France after the fall of the Roman Empire. Middle French also borrowed heavily from the Italian language during the Renaissance. As a result of these linguistic and cultural influences, the name Bell is distinguished by a number of regional variations. The many spelling variations of the name include Lebel, LeBel, LaBelle, Belle, Bell, Labelle, Label, LaBell, LaBel, LeBelle, LeBaile, LaBaile, Lebaile and many more.

Early Notables of the Bell family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

  • Alexis-Simon Belle (1674-1734), French painter, member of well known family of painters, and his son the painter Jean Belle (d. 1703.) Dominique Guillaume Lebel (1696-1768) or also Le Bel, was first c...

Bell World Ranking

In the United States, the name Bell is the 58th most popular surname with an estimated 290,979 people with that name. 3 However, in Canada, the name Bell is ranked the 78th most popular surname with an estimated 31,373 people with that name. 4 And in Australia, the name Bell is the 41st popular surname with an estimated 42,630 people with that name. 5 New Zealand ranks Bell as 58th with 5,090 people. 6 The United Kingdom ranks Bell as 48th with 83,942 people. 7 South Africa ranks Bell as 920th with 7,585 people. 8

United States Bell migration to the United States +

In 1643, 109 years after the first landings by Cartier, there were only about 300 people in Quebec. Migration was slow. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the French Acadian presence in the Maritimes had reached 500. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The family name Bell has made many distinguished contributions in France and New France to the world of science, culture, religion, and education. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Bell were

Bell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Mr. John Bell, (b. 1605), aged 30, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Safety" arriving in Virginia in 1635 9
  • George Bell, who settled in Virginia in 1638
  • John Bell who settled in Virginia in 1638
  • Christian Bell, who landed in Virginia in 1650 10
  • Alexander Bell who settled in Virginia in 1654
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Bell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Anne Bell, who landed in Virginia in 1713 10
  • Chr Bell, who arrived in Virginia in 1714 10
  • Christopher Bell, who arrived in Virginia in 1716
  • Aaron Bell, who arrived in New England in 1719 10
  • Henericus Bell, German who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1727 aboard the ship "William and Sarah" 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Bell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Agnus Bell, who settled in Philadelphia in 1802
  • Abraham Bell, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 10
  • Anna Bell, aged 5, who arrived in Key West, Fla in 1838 10
  • D Bell, aged 24, who landed in Key West, Fla in 1838 10
  • Catharine J Bell, who arrived in New York, NY in 1847 10
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Bell migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bell Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Ann Bell, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • Elizabeth Bell, who settled in Nova Scotia in 1765
  • Robert Bell, who was a laborer in St. John's, Newfoundland, in 1779 12
  • Mr. Derick Bell U.E. who settled in Home District, [Niagara], Lincoln County, Ontario c. 1783 13
  • Mr. Duncan Bell U.E. who settled in Fredericksburgh, Cataraqui township, [Greater Napanee], Ontario c. 1783 13
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Bell Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Andrew Bell, who landed in Canada in 1819
  • Agnes Bell, aged 55, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Pacific" from Liverpool, England
  • John Bell, aged 20, a tailor, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the schooner "Sarah" from Belfast, Ireland
  • Thomas Bell, aged 30, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Bartley" in 1833
  • James Bell, aged 30, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Neptune" in 1834
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Bell migration to Australia +

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

Bell Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. George Bell, (Porter, William, Dalton), English waterman who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life for theft, transported aboard the "Earl Spencer" in May 1813, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1851 14
  • Mr. Henry Bell, English convict who was convicted in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" in May 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 15
  • Mr. John Bell, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" in May 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 15
  • Miss Ann Bell, (Eliza), (b. 1784), aged 33, Irish needle woman who was convicted in Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Canada" on 21st March 1817, arriving in New South Wales, Australia then transported on to Tasmania per "Elizabeth Henrietta" 16
  • Mr. Charles Bell, British Convict who was convicted in West Riding, Yorkshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 27th October 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 17
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Bell 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:

Bell Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • George Bell, who landed in Island of Mana, New Zealand in 1832 aboard the ship Minerva
  • George Bell, who landed in Dundee, New Zealand in 1832
  • F Dillon Bell, who landed in Wellington & Nelson, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Ursula
  • H Gordon Bell, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Lady Lilford
  • James Bell, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

West Indies Bell migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 18
Bell Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Mr. James Bell, (b. 1616), aged 19, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Anne and Elizabeth" arriving in Barbados in 1635 19
  • Mr. Thomas Bell, (b. 1621), aged 14, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Matthew" arriving in St Christopher (Saint Kitts) in 1635 20
  • Alison Bell, who settled in Barbados in 1670
  • Robert Bell, who settled in Barbados in 1679

Contemporary Notables of the name Bell (post 1700) +

  • Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922), Scottish inventor of the telephone, born in Edinburgh, Scotland, emigrated to the United States in 1870, where he was a Professor of Physiology at Boston University, and exhibited his telephone invention in 1870
  • Kristen Anne Bell (b. 1980), American Satellite, People's Choice Award winning actress, known for Frozen (2013), Veronica Mars (2014), Frozen II (2019), PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie (2023) and many more
  • Robert Holmes Bell (1944-2023), American jurist, Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan (2017-2023)
  • Thomas Randolph "Thom" Bell (1943-2022), Jamaican-born American record producer, arranger and songwriter known as one of the creators of Philadelphia soul in the 1970s, inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum
  • Luke Bell (1990-2022), American country musician and singer-songwriter, born in Lexington, Kentucky
  • Madison Smartt Bell (b. 1957), American novelist, known for his trilogy of novels about Toussaint Louverture and the Haitian Revolution, published 1995–2004
  • Robert Bell (1732-1784), Scottish immigrant to the British colonies in America, one of many early American printers and publishers, best known for printing Thomas Paine's celebrated work, Common Sense
  • Michael John "Mike" Bell (1974-2021), American professional baseball third baseman and coach
  • Marvin Hartley Bell (1937-2020), American poet and teacher who was the first Poet Laureate of the state of Iowa
  • Ronald Nathan Bell (1951-2020), known as Khalis Bayyan, an American composer, singer, songwriter, arranger, producer, saxophonist
  • ... (Another 371 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Empress of Ireland
  • Mr. Robert William Bell (d. 1914), British Deck Boy from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 21
  • Mr. Dan Bell (d. 1914), American Third Class Passenger from Detroit, Michigan, United States who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 22
Grover Shoe factory
  • Mr. Frank W. Bell, American employee of the Grover Shoe factory in Brockton, Massachusetts on 20th March 1905 when the boiler exploded and collapsed the wooden building; he died 23
Halifax Explosion
  • Mr. John Francis  Bell (1854-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 24
  • Master Stanley  Bell (1912-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 24
  • Mrs. Jessie  Bell (1880-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 24
  • Master Gerald Francis  Bell (1914-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 24
  • Mrs. Geraldine  Bell (1890-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 24
  • ... (Another 2 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Hillsborough disaster
  • Simon Bell (1971-1989), English trainee who was attending the FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough Stadium, in Sheffield, Yorkshire when the stand allocated area became overcrowded and 96 people were crushed in what became known as the Hillsborough disaster and he died from his injuries 25
HMS Dorsetshire
  • Douglas Stewart Bell (d. 1945), British Stoker 1st Class aboard the HMS Dorsetshire when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking 26
HMS Hood
  • Mr. William Bell (b. 1917), Scottish Able Seaman serving for the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve from Edinburgh, Scotland, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 27
  • Mr. Cyril Kemp Bell (b. 1923), English Ordinary Signalman serving for the Royal Navy from Bardney, Lincolnshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 27
HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. Thomas William Bell (b. 1915), "Bill" English Able Bodied Seaman from England, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 28
  • Mr. Leonard Hammersley Bell, British Captain, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 28
  • Mr. Charles Bell, British Able Bodied Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 28
HMS Repulse
  • Mr. Walter Bell, British Able Bodied Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 29
  • Mr. James Bell, British Able Bodied Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 29
HMS Royal Oak
  • Robert William Bell (1900-1939), British Able Seaman with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 30
  • Ian Bell, British Signalman with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he survived the sinking 30
Mount Mulligan Mine
  • Irving Bell, British-born, Australian coal miner who was killed in the Mount Mulligan Mine explosion in 1921
North Sea Flood
  • T. Bell, British worker aboard the trawler "Sheldon" killed in the North Sea Flood, a major storm surge in 1953
Pan Am Flight 103 (Lockerbie)
  • Jean Mary Bell (1944-1988), English Passenger from Berkshire, England, who flew aboard the Pan Am Flight 103 from Frankfurt to Detroit, known as the Lockerbie bombing in 1988 and died 31
RMS Titanic
  • Mr. Joseph Bell (d. 1912), aged 50, English Chief Engineer from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 32
SS Atlantic
  • Alice Bell, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking
USS Arizona
  • Mr. Hershel Homer Bell, American Fire Controlman Second Class from Illinois, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 33
  • Mr. Richard Leroy Bell, American Seaman Second Class from California, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 33

Suggested Readings for the name Bell +

  • Ancestral Lines and Descendants of Frances Emily (Botsfor, Morse and Jean) (Botsford) Bell by Doreen Potter Hanna.
  • Backward Glimpse by Iris Bell.
  • Sir Robert Bell and His Early Virginia Colony Descendants. by James Elton Bell and Frances Jean Bell. Wheatmark, January 2007.
  1. 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)
  2. Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  5. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  6. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  7. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  8. "Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
  9. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved October 5th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  10. 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)
  11. Egle, William Henry. Names of foreigners who took the oath of allegiance to the province and state of Pennsylvania... Edwin K. Meyers state printer, 1892 
  12. Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
  13. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  14. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 8th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-spencer
  15. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 1st March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
  16. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/canada
  17. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel
  18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  19. Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's. Retrieved 23rd September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  20. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's (Retrieved October 4th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  21. Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
  22. Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 16) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
  23. 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
  24. 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
  25. Hillsborough Victims (retreived 21st March 2021). Retreived from https://metro.co.uk/2019/04/15/remembering-96-victims-hillsborough-disaster-30-years-9206566/
  26. Force Z Survivors HMS Dorsetshire Crew List, (Retrieved 2018, February 13th), https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listdorsetshirecrew.html
  27. 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
  28. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
  29. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
  30. Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
  31. Pan Am Flight 103's victims: A list of those killed 25 years ago | syracuse.com. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/12/pan_am_flight_103s_victims_a_list_of_those_killed_25_years_ago.html
  32. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html
  33. Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html
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