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![Show Contents]() Govel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
The name Govel reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Govel family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Govel family lived in Yorkshire. The family was originally from Chauvel in Manche, Normandy, and it is to their residence in this area that the name refers. 1 Another source claims the name could have been a nickname from the Old English word "cufle" for "cloak." 2 Early Origins of the Govel familyThe surname Govel was first found in Yorkshire where Robert Covell was listed there in 1476 in the York Freeman's Register. 3 Today, the Covel variant is popular in Lincolnshire. Early History of the Govel familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Govel research. Another 74 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1584, 1588, 1589, 1595, 1596, 1601, 1614, 1638, 1654, 1658, 1661, 1688 and 1722 are included under the topic Early Govel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Govel Spelling VariationsAnglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Covell, Covel and others. Early Notables of the Govel familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was John Covel, Covell, Colvill (1638-1722), English clergyman and scientist who became Master of Christ's College, Cambridge (1688-1722) and vice-chancellor of the University. He was the son of William Covel, and was born at Horningsheath, Suffolk, on 2 April 1638. "After receiving his early education at the grammar school, Bury St. Edmunds, he was admitted a member of Christ's College, Cambridge, on 31 March 1654, being then in his sixteenth year. He...
Another 79 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Govel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Govel familyBecause of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Govel name or one of its variants: Ezra Covell who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1635 with his brother Joseph; Nicholas Covell settled in Virginia in 1648; Cesara Covell settled in New England in 1635.
- 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)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
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