Counsell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancient name of Counsell finds its origins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from a name for a person who was a councillor, one who provided ‘consultation, deliberation' derived from the French words "counsell, consell, cunsell," of the same meaning. 1 2

One source claims the name was a local name "compounded of Anglo-Saxon sœl, sel, a hall or dwelling (Old. Norse sel, a summer shed for cattle)," 3 but most of the sources claim the occupational origin of name.

Early Origins of the Counsell family

The surname Counsell was first found in Berkshire, where William Cunseil was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1208. In the same year and the same county, the surname Consell (with no forename) was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls. A few years later, John Counsell was listed in Dorset in 1310. 1

Pointing to the wide spellings in use in ancient times, we found William Counsayl and Roger Consayl listed in Somerset, 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edwards' reign) 4

Early History of the Counsell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Counsell research. Another 56 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1208, 1310, 1327, 1609 and 1742 are included under the topic Early Counsell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Counsell 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 Counsell family name include Counsell, Councell, Cunseil, Counseil, Counsayl, Consayl and many more.

Early Notables of the Counsell family

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

Counsell migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, 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 Counsell surname or a spelling variation of the name include :

Counsell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Counsell, who arrived in Kansas in 1886
James Counsell, aged 54, who arrived in Kansas in 1886 5

Counsell migration to Australia +

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

Counsell Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Joseph Counsell, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 13th March 1828, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Counsell (post 1700) +

Craig John Counsell (b. 1970), American Major League Baseball player
Marilyn Trenholme Counsell (b. 1933), Canadian Politician, Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick (1997-2003), member of the Senate of Canada (2003)

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
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.
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant