Bernikel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Bernikel is a name whose history is connected to the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Bernikel family once lived in Warwickshire, where they took their name from the hamlet of Barnacle in the parish of Bulkington, six miles from Coventry. 1

Early Origins of the Bernikel family

The surname Bernikel was first found in Warwickshire at Barnacle, a hamlet, in the parish of Bulkington, union of Nuneaton, Kirby division of the hundred of Knightlow. 2 "It is mentioned in the Conqueror's survey, and is supposed to have anciently belonged to the family of Fitzwith." 2 At that time it was spelt Bernhangre. 3 The place name literally means "wooded slope by a barn," from the Old English words "bere-aern" + "hangra." 4

Early History of the Bernikel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bernikel research. Another 215 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1273, 1344, 1500 and 1545 are included under the topic Early Bernikel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bernikel Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Bernikel family name include Barnacle, Barnicle, Bernicle, Barnackle, Barnackell, Barnaucle and many more.

Early Notables of the Bernikel family

Notables of the family at this time include

Richard Bernikel, a prominent 14th century landholder in Kent

Migration of the Bernikel family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Bernikel surname or a spelling variation of the name include: John Barnacle who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1772.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)