Cantrile History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Cantrile came to England with the ancestors of the Cantrile family in the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Cantrile family lived in Lancashire. The family descend from a Norman noble who arrived from the area of Chantarel, Normandy with the 1066 invasion. The name is possibly derived from the Old French words chanterelle, which translates in English to "a small bell" or from canterellus which means "the little singer." 1

By way of confirmation, researchers found William and Roger Cantarel, of Normandy, 1198 listed in the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae. 2

Early Origins of the Cantrile family

The surname Cantrile was first found in Yorkshire. "Most of my instances hail from Yorkshire. I could have adduced others. It is there the surname is still most largely represented." 3

The first record of the family in Britain was found in the Rotuli Curiae Regis. There Alberic Chanterhill, of England, 1199 was listed. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Alice Cainterel, Yorkshire; William Chanterel, Northamptonshire; Richard Chaunterel, Wiltshire; and Martin Chanterrl, Yorkshire. Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included: Johannes Quayntorell; and Johanna Quayntell. 3

Early History of the Cantrile family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cantrile research. Another 120 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1503, 1569, 1632, 1673, 1685, 1700 and 1773 are included under the topic Early Cantrile History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cantrile Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Cantrile are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Cantrile include Cantrell, Cantrel, Cantrill, Cantril, Chantrell and many more.

Early Notables of the Cantrile family

Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cantrile Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cantrile family to Ireland

Some of the Cantrile family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cantrile family

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Cantrile, or a variant listed above: William Cantrill who settled in Virginia in 1608, twelve years before the "Mayflower," was descended from Humphrey Cantrill from Woodley Wokingham. The family settled in Tennessee, Georgia, Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Pennsylvania and New York.

The Cantrile 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: Propio vos sanguine pasco
Motto Translation: I feed you with kindred blood.

Citations +

Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
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)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)