Show ContentsCable History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Cable surname finds its earliest origins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name is derived from Cabel, a given name of Germanic origin. The surname Cable denoted the son of Cabel.

Early Origins of the Cable family

The surname Cable was first found in Somerset where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Cable family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cable research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1273 and 1500 are included under the topic Early Cable History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cable Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Cable are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Cable include: Cable, Cabell, Cabel, Cabbell, Cabbel and others.

Early Notables of the Cable family

More information is included under the topic Early Cable Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cable Ranking

In the United States, the name Cable is the 3,200th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. [1]


United States Cable migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Cable or a variant listed above:

Cable Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Mr. John Cable, British settler from Dorchester, who sailed from Isle of Wright arriving in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet, he later moved to Fairfield [2]
  • Thomas Cable, who arrived in Virginia in 1651 [3]
  • Thomas Cable, who settled in Virginia in 1654
Cable Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Christian Cable, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1791 [3]
  • Mary Cable, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1791 [3]
  • Jacob Cable, who landed in Mississippi in 1799 [3]
  • Frederick Cable, who landed in Mississippi in 1799 [3]
Cable Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Cable, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1834 [3]
  • Edward Cable, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1844 [3]
  • Lawrence Cable, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1848 [3]
  • I Cable, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 [3]
  • P Cable, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 [3]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Cable Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Mr. James Cable, (b. 1876), aged 25, Cornish miner, from St. Austell, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Campania" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 8th June 1901 en route to Houghton, Michigan, USA [4]

Canada Cable migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cable Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Michael Cable, who settled in Trinity, Newfoundland, in 1731
  • Mr. Daniel Cable U.E. born in Connecticut, USA who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1783 he died in 1818 [5]
  • Mr. David Cable U.E. born in Connecticut, USA who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1783 [5]
  • Mr. Denbo Cable U.E. born in Connecticut, USA who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1783 [5]
  • Mr. Jabez Cable U.E. born in Connecticut, USA who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1783 [5]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Cable migration to Australia +

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

Cable Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss Mary Cable, (Kable), (b. 1775), aged 28, British Convict who was convicted in Essex, England for 7 years for shop lifting, transported aboard the "Experiment" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, she died in 1860 [6]
  • Mr. Samuel Cable, (b. 1794), aged 25, English shepherd who was convicted in Essex, England for life, transported aboard the "Dromedary" on 11th September 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1832 [7]
  • Mr. John Cable, British Convict who was convicted in Suffolk, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Earl St Vincent" on 6th April 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [8]
  • Mr. Jonas Cable, English convict who was convicted in Norfolk, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eden" on 27th August 1836, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [9]
  • Mary Cable, aged 17, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Lismoyne"

New Zealand Cable 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:

Cable Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • William Cable, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
  • James Cable, aged 30, who arrived in Hawkes Bay aboard the ship "Bebington" in 1874
  • Emma Cable, aged 28, who arrived in Hawkes Bay aboard the ship "Bebington" in 1874
  • Emma Cable, aged 3, who arrived in Hawkes Bay aboard the ship "Bebington" in 1874
  • Rosina Cable, aged 3 months, who arrived in Hawkes Bay aboard the ship "Bebington" in 1874

Contemporary Notables of the name Cable (post 1700) +

  • Frank Taylor Cable (1863-1945), American early pioneer in submarine development
  • George Washington Cable (1844-1925), American novelist
  • Thomas Lee "Tom" Cable Jr. (b. 1964), current head coach of the Oakland Raiders of the NFL
  • Mrs. James A. Cable, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Kansas 2nd District, 1924 [10]
  • H. H. Cable, American politician, Member of South Dakota State House of Representatives, 1907-10 [10]
  • Glover Wheeler Cable (1844-1919), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Oxford; Elected 1906 [10]
  • Frank V. Cable, American Republican politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Harwinton; Elected 1910 [10]
  • David J. Cable, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Ohio, 1912 [10]
  • Ben Taylor Cable (1853-1923), American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1884, 1892, 1904, 1908; U.S. Representative from Illinois 11th District, 1891-93 [10]
  • Barbara Cable, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan, 1988 [10]
  • ... (Another 13 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


The Cable 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: Impavide
Motto Translation: Fearlessly.


Suggested Readings for the name Cable +

  • The Robert Cable Family Genealogy by George Winthrop Cable.

  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  3. 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)
  4. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
  5. 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
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dromedary
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-st-vincent
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th October 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
  10. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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