Show ContentsCottell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Cottell is an old Anglo-Saxon name. It comes from when a family lived in Cottle located in the hundred of Bradford in the county of Wiltshire. 1 One source presumes the name could have been originally from Normandy as there, William Cotel was listed (c. 1180-1195). 2

Early Origins of the Cottell family

The surname Cottell was first found in Wiltshire, where Beringarius Cotel was recorded in 1084. Later the Pipe Rolls of 1167 records Adam Cotella in Dorset. Eilwinus Kutel, Cutel was listed as a Knights Templar in Essex in 1185 and later, Walter Cotal was found in the Curia Regis Rolls for Oxfordshire in 1206. 3 "The present representatives of the name of Cottle are evidently descended from the ancient Wiltshire family of Cottel, which originally owned much property, especially in the parish of Atford in the 13th century. 4 It is generally thought that Cottles in Wiltshire was named after the family. 5

By the time of the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, the family had spread to other shires: Elyas Cotel, Wiltshire; and Roger Cotel, Oxfordshire. 1 In Somerset, we found Robert Cothulle and John de Cothulle, both listed 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III.) 6

Early History of the Cottell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cottell research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1167, 1185, 1206, 1327, 1518, 1522, 1523, 1605 and 1803 are included under the topic Early Cottell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cottell Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Cottell were recorded, including Cottle, Cottell, Cottel, Cothulle, Cuttil, Cuttles, Cotel, Cotella and many more.

Early Notables of the Cottell family

Notables of the family at this time include Beringarius Cotel, a prominent 11th century Wiltshire landholder. John Cotell was the steward of Sir Edward Hungerford. He was strangled by his wife, Agnes at Farleigh Castle on 26 July 1518, with the aid of William Mathewe and William Inges, yeomen of Heytesbury, Wiltshire. Agnes then married Sir Edward shortly after her first husband's body was...
Another 63 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cottell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Cottell family to Ireland

Some of the Cottell 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.


United States Cottell migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Cottell family emigrate to North America:

Cottell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Franz Cottell, aged 13, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1834 7
  • Harriette Cottell, aged 22, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1834 7
  • Hear Emilie Cottell, aged 2, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1834 7
  • Hear Ernstine Cottell, aged 8, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1834 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Cottell (post 1700) +

  • Philip G. Cottell, American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in Quito, 1943 8


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. 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)
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  5. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  6. Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
  7. 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)
  8. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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