Damsell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Damsell family

The surname Damsell was first found in Yorkshire where Ralph Damisel, Dameisele was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1191 and 1204. Again in 1204, Henry Damisel was recorded in the Pipe Rolls for Gloucestershire. A few years later, Roger Damisele was recorded in the Curia Regis Rolls for Berkshire in 1214. 1

"This surname is derived from a nickname. 'the damsel'; Old French damoisel, a young squire or page." 2

The Hundredorum Rolls for 1273 had only one listing, that of Simon Damsell in Buckinghamshire while the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 had two: Johannes Damysell; and Robertas Damsell. 2

Early History of the Damsell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Damsell research. Another 99 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1535, 1553, 1555, 1582 and 1685 are included under the topic Early Damsell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Damsell Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Damsel, Damisell, Damsell, Damysell, Densell and others.

Early Notables of the Damsell family

Distinguished members of the family include

Sir William Damsell, who was knighted on October 2nd, 1553 at Westminster at the Coronation of Queen Mary in the presence of the Queen by the Earl of Arundel who was commissioned to knight those prese...
Samuel Damsell was a customs officer who rode from Lyme to London, arriving on 13 June 1685, having ridden 200 miles (322 km) during the Monmouth Rebellion

Migration of the Damsell family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: settlers, who arrived along the eastern seaboard, from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands.

Contemporary Notables of the name Damsell (post 1700) +

William Damsell, American businessman from Lexington, Ohio who built the first grocery store there called "Cook's Tavern" in 1825
A. Damsell, English political candidate for Granby, Prince's Park in the 1978 Liverpool City Council election
Martin Damsell, Canadian vocalist and guitarist, known for his work with Little Caesar and the Consuls

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-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)