Show ContentsCamyll History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Camyll family name is linked to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name comes from the given name Camel, a variation of the Old Norse name Gamall. The surname Camyll is also of nickname origin and refers to a person who had physical characteristics similar to a camel. These characteristics could include awkwardness and ill-temper. The origin is also toponymic, which means that the bearers came from Queen Camel or West Camel, which were parishes in Somerset.

Early Origins of the Camyll family

The surname Camyll was first found in Somerset, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

The Keymell variant hails from Cornwall. "This ancient and respectable family first came into England with William the Conqueror in 1066, and took up their principal abode in Somerset and Devon. But Geoffrey St. Aubyn on his marriage with Elizabeth, heiress of Keymell, became an inhabitant of Cornwall; in which county his descendants have ever since resided. This famous family, which was first denominated from Mount Seyntaubyn in Normandy, after their establishment in this country, formed alliances by marriages in their descent, with the several families of Keymell, Coleshill, Whittington, Grenvill, Mallet, Godolphin, Jenkin, Trenowth, De la Haye, and Morrice." 1

Early History of the Camyll family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Camyll research. Another 280 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1200, 1220, 1332, 1379, 1500, 1642 and 1752 are included under the topic Early Camyll History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Camyll Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Camyll include Camell, Cammel, Camel, Camule, Camyll, Gamyll, Cammell and many more.

Early Notables of the Camyll family

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

Migration of the Camyll family

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Camyll were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: Edmund Camell who arrived in Virginia in 1637; James Camell in New England in 1652; and John Cammel who arrived in South Carolina in 1716.



  1. Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print


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