Contents [hide]

Harrell History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Harrell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

Early Origins of the Harrell family

The surname Harrell was first found in Northumberland where they held a family seat on the English/Scottish border. After the Norman Conquest of England many of Duke William's rebellious Barons moved north. The border became a convenient no-man's land. In the 16th century they became known as the 'unruly clans'.

The name Haurell or Harel is found several times in the Norman Exchequer Rolls of 1180-95 and subsequently appears enrolled among the nobility as Sires de Bretteville. 1

Cornwall hold an interesting entry about the family. Lord Borchard de Herle (1268-1305), was a medieval diplomat under the King Edward I. By the time he was 12, his father Lord Borin had died of typhoid fever leaving him to care for his mother and his younger brother. As soon as he turned 18, he abandoned his sick mother and took his father's money and left to go to college at University of Cambridge. His father's legacy of close connections to Edward I led to his early career. This Cornish branch claims descent from "the house of West Hearle in Northumberland." 2

"The manor of St. Day [in the parish of Gwennap, Cornwall] was at a very early period in severalties. The family of Hearle possess one third part, which they have long held." 3

"East Clusion [in the parish of lansallos, Cornwall] now belongs to John Hearle, Esq. of Tregony, in whose family it has been vested about a century." 3

In nearby Devon, "Sir William Herle, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, 1316, certainly lived at Chambercombe, near Ilfracombe, but his birth there is doubtful. " 4

Early History of the Harrell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Harrell research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1079, 1142, 1149, 1162, 1301, 1324, 1347, 1385, 1431, 1510, 1559, 1575, 1598, 1600, 1617, 1618, 1622, 1640, 1659, 1661, 1679, 1681 and 1695 are included under the topic Early Harrell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Harrell Spelling Variations

The name Harrell, appeared in many references, and from time to time, the surname was spelt Herle, Hearle, Herral, Harrell, Harle, Harel, Heral, Hurl, Hirl, Herrel and many more.

Early Notables of the Harrell family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was William de Herle (d. 1347), was an English judge, son of Robert de Herle, was probably born in Leicestershire, since both his father and he in 1301 and 1324 respectively were summoned by the sheriffs of that county to perform military duty and to attend the great council at Westminster. His lands lay principally in Leicestershire, but through his wife Margaret, daughter and heir of William Polglas and of Elizabeth, heiress of Sir William Champernon, he came into possession of considerable estates in Devonshire. 5 Charles Herle (1598-1659), was a prominent...
Another 101 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Harrell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Harrell Ranking

In the United States, the name Harrell is the 597^th most popular surname with an estimated 49,740 people with that name. 6

Harrell migration to the United States +

The New World beckoned as many of the settlers in Ireland, known as the Scotch/Irish, became disenchanted. They sailed aboard the armada of sailing ships known as the "White Sails" which plied the stormy Atlantic. Some called them, less romantically, the "coffin ships." Amongst the early settlers who could be considered kinsmen of the Harrell family, or who bore a variation of the surname Harrell were

Harrell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Harrell, who arrived in Maryland in 1676 7

Harrell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Joane Harrell, who landed in Virginia in 1719 7

Harrell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Edward Harrell, who arrived in Mobile County, Ala in 1845 7
Jasper Harrell, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 7
Cassie Harrell, aged 23, who settled in America from Ballygawley, in 1897

Harrell Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Ellen Harrell, aged 24, who settled in America from Oldcastle, in 1901
John C Harrell, aged 41, who immigrated to America from London, in 1904
Charles Lydon Harrell, aged 21, who landed in America from Stanford Hill, in 1904
Bryant Eugene Harrell, aged 23, who landed in America from Stanford Hill, in 1904
David Harrell, aged 46, who immigrated to the United States, in 1908
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Harrell migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Harrell Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mrs. Sarah Harrell, aged 40 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Lotus" departing 15th April 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 24th June 1847 but she died on board 8

Harrell migration to Australia +

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

Harrell Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Sarah Harrell, aged 15, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1858 aboard the ship "Melbourne"

Contemporary Notables of the name Harrell (post 1700) +

Dickie Harrell (1940-2023), American drummer for the rock and roll group the Blue Caps
Major General Gary Lynn Harrell (1951-2023), United States Army general, known for Operation Just Cause in 1989, the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
David Edwin Harrell Jr. (1930-2021), American historian best known for his scholarship of religion in the United States
Andre O’Neal Harrell (1960-2020), American record executive, record producer, songwriter and rapper
James Nelson Harrell (1918-2000), American actor from Waco, Texas
Lynn Harrell (1944-2020), American classical cellist from New York City, New York
Tom Harrell (b. 1946), American post-bop jazz trumpeter and arranger
Costen Jordan Harrell (1885-1971), American bishop of The Methodist Church in the United States (1944)
Christopher Mychal Harrell (b. 1983), American professional NFL football player
Sergeant William George Harrell (1922-1964), American soldier, awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1945
... (Another 21 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Harrell family +

USS Arizona

Mr. Allen B. Harrell, American Seaman First Class working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he survived the sinking 9

Citations +

Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 2 of 3
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. 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)
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 79)
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html