Show ContentsHartsell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestry of the name Hartsell dates from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from when the family lived in the parish of Hartwell, found in a number of locations including the dioceses of Oxford and Peterborough, as well as the county of Berkshire.

The Buckinghamshire parish was "the residence of Louis XVIII., and his court, during the stay of that monarch in England, prior to his restoration to the French throne: he gave £100 for the use of the poor. " [1] [2]

Early Origins of the Hartsell family

The surname Hartsell was first found in Northamptonshire where Hartwell is a village and civil parish bordering Buckinghamshire. The village was listed as Herdeuuelle and Hertewelle in the Domesday Book [3] having been derived from the Old English words heort + wella which meant "spring or stream frequented by deer." [4]

Hartwell is also a village in central Buckinghamshire, south of Aylesbury, by the village of Stone but this later reference was later.

Hartwell House is a country house in the village of Hartwell, Buckinghamshire built in the early 17th century. Today the house is owned by the Ernest Cook Trust and is leased to the National Trust.

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had three listings of the family: Decennarius de Hertwell, Northamptonshire; Agatha de Hertwell, Buckinghamshire; and Robert de Hertwell, Buckinghamshire. [5]

Early History of the Hartsell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hartsell research. Another 114 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1185, 1259, 1273, 1327, 1542, 1543, 1553, 1559, 1562, 1563, 1565, 1567, 1603 and 1606 are included under the topic Early Hartsell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hartsell Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Hartsell have been found, including Hartwell, Harwell, Hartswell, Hardwell and others.

Early Notables of the Hartsell family

Distinguished members of the family include Abraham Hartwell the Elder (fl. 1565), an English poet, born in 1542 or 1543, educated at Eton; he was admitted scholar at King's College, Cambridge, on 25 Aug. 1559, and became a fellow on 26 Aug. 1562; he graduated B.A. in 1563, M.A. in 1567, and resigned his fellowship in 1567. Abraham Hartwell, the younger (1553-1606)...
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hartsell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hartsell Ranking

In the United States, the name Hartsell is the 7,484th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. [6]


United States Hartsell migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Hartsell, or a variant listed above:

Hartsell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Barbr Hartsell, aged 50, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1732 [7]
  • Catarrina Hartsell, aged 51, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732 [7]
  • Lenard Hartsell, aged 24, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732 [7]
  • Urigg Hartsell, aged 18, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1732 [7]
  • George Hartsell, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1740 [7]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Hartsell (post 1700) +

  • Harry Hartsell (1890-1955), American football, basketball, and baseball player, coach, and college athletics administrator in North Carolina
  • Fletcher L. Hartsell Jr. (b. 1947), American politician, Member of the North Carolina Senate (1991-)
  • Larry Hartsell (1942-2007), American martial arts teacher, author and bodyguard, best known for his work with Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do
  • Danielle Hartsell (b. 1980), American pair skater, winner of the 1999 U.S. National Champion and the 1997 World Junior Champion with her brother Steve
  • Steve Hartsell (b. 1978), American pair skater, winner of the 1999 U.S. National Champion and the 1997 World Junior Champion with his sister Danielle
  • Mark Hartsell (b. 1973), American former college and NFL quarterback who played from 1996 to 2001


The Hartsell Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Sorte sua contentus
Motto Translation: Content with his lot.


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
  3. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  4. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  5. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  6. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  7. 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)


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