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Gentle History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Gentle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
England
France
Germany
Italy

Early Origins of the Gentle family

The surname Gentle was first found in Hampshire, where they held a family seat since the Norman invasion of 1066. The name Gentle comes from the Old French word "gent," meaning "well-born" or "noble." 1 2

It could be a literal name, referring to someone who actually was well-born, or it may have been an ironic nickname, for someone who put on airs of aristocracy.

One of the oldest records of the family was found in Winmarleigh, a township in Lancashire with one of the older spellings used by the family. "In the reign of Henry III. lived a Gregory de Winnerlie or de Wimerlegh. In the 17th of Edward III., [(17th year of Edward III's reign)]Robert de Plesyngton received a fine from Thomas le Gentyll and his wife and son, for a moiety of the manor of Wynmerles." 3

Other early record of the family were found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273: William le Gentil in Yorkshire and Robert le Gentill, or Gentyl in Wiltshire. 1 John le Gentyl, was listed in Somerset during the first year of Edward III's reign 4 and in the 4th year of Edward II's reign William le Gentil was listed on the Patent Roll. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list: Agnes Gentildoghter and Johannes Gentill. 1

Early History of the Gentle family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gentle research. Another 35 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1202 and 1242 are included under the topic Early Gentle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gentle Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Gentle, Gentles, Gentile, Jentle, Gentry and others.

Early Notables of the Gentle family

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

Gentle Ranking

In the United States, the name Gentle is the 10,354^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Gentle migration to the United States +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Gentle or a variant listed above:

Gentle Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Edward Gentle, who arrived in New York in 1777

Gentle Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Andrew Gentle, who settled in America in 1801
George Adam Gentle, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1802
William Gentle, aged 24, who arrived in New York in 1803 6
Andrew Gentle, who arrived in New York in 1812
Andrew Gentle, aged 35, who arrived in New York in 1812 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gentle migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Gentle Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

John Gentle, who settled in Ontario in 1871

Gentle migration to Australia +

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

Gentle Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Peter Gentle, (b. 1830), aged 18, Scottish publican who was convicted in Edinburgh, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bangalore" on 1st January 1850, arriving in Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia 7
Edward Gentle, aged 18, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1851 aboard the ship "Osceola" 8
William Gentle, aged 19, a farm labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Star Queen" 9
George Gentle, aged 6, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Star Queen" 9
James Gentle, aged 26, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Star Queen" 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gentle migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Gentle Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Alexander Gentle, aged 22, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Duchess of Argyle" in 1842
Mr. Thomas Gentle (Gentles), (b. 1805), aged 42, Scottish settler born in Lanarkshire arriving as Detachment of the Royal New Zealand Fencibles travelling aboard the ship "Sir Robert Sale" from Gravesend via Cork arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 11th October 1847 10
Peter Gentle, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Aloe" in 1863

Contemporary Notables of the name Gentle (post 1700) +

Alice Gentle (1885-1958), American operatic mezzo-soprano
James Cuthbert Gentle (1904-1986), American Olympic bronze medalist soccer striker, member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame
Sir William Benjamin Gentle (1865-1948), English politician, High Sheriff of Norfolk, best known for fighting racecourse crime and was jointly responsible for promoting greyhound racing in the United Kingdom
Peter Gentle (b. 1965), Australian rugby league footballer of the 1980s
Johnny Gentle (b. 1936), stage name of John Askew, a British pop singer, best known for having briefly toured Scotland with the Silver Beetles - later known as The Beatles in 1960
Mary Rosalyn Gentle (b. 1956), British science fiction and fantasy author
Renee Gentle Powers, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Alabama, 2008 11

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, 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.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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 11th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/australasia
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) OSCEOLA / ASCEOLA 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Osceola-Asceola.htm
South Australian Register Monday 1st January 1855. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Star Queen 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/starqueen1854.shtml
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 18) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html