Kebell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Kebell name was originally an Anglo-Saxon name that was given to a person who made or sold cudgels, which were short, stout sticks used as weapons. The surname Kebell was also applied as a nickname to a person who was considered as stout and heavy. 1

Another source disagrees with this theory. Bardsley believes that the "surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Kibble,' i.e. Cuboid. A strong confirmation of the view that Kibbel was an old personal name is the existence of such local names as Kibblethwaite, Kibbleworth, Kibblestone, Cobbledick." 2

Early Origins of the Kebell family

The surname Kebell was first found in Suffolk where Æluric Chebbel was found c. 1095. While the name does not appear in the Domesday Book of 1086, it would be safe to assume that the Kebell family were indeed there at that time.

Later, William Kebbel was found in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1214 and in 1263 Salomon Kebbel was found in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1263.

The Hundredorum Rolls of 11273 included entries for a wide variety of spellings: Michael Kibbel, Huntingdonshire; William Kibbel, Cambridgeshire; Thomas Kibel, Lincolnshire; Reginald Kibel, Lincolnshire; and Stephen Cubbel, Oxfordshire. 2

"From the 15th to the 17th century, Keeble, in the forms often of Keble, Kebill, and Kebyll, was a common name amongst the gentry and tradesmen of Stowmarket [Suffolk]. Keeble is still a Stowmarket name. In the 13th century, Kibel, Kibbel, and Kebbel were names found in the adjacent counties of Cambridge and Hunts, as well as in those of Lincoln and Oxford. There are Kibbles now in Bucks and Warwickshire." 3

Early History of the Kebell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kebell research. Another 159 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1120, 1510, 1523, 1607, 1632, 1644, 1649, 1650, 1654, 1686, 1710, 1711, 1786, 1792, 1806, 1807, 1809 and 1866 are included under the topic Early Kebell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kebell Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Kebell has undergone many spelling variations, including Keeble, Keble, Kebbell, Kebell, Kebill, Kebyll, Kibbel, Kibble, Kibel, Keebler and many more.

Early Notables of the Kebell family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Richard Keble, Keeble or Kebbel (fl. 1650), English judge an old family settled at Newton in Suffolk. He was Commissioner of the Great Seal from 1649 to 1654. His youngest son Joseph Keble (1632-1710), was a barrister and essayist, born...
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kebell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kebell migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Kebell were among those contributors:

Kebell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Robert Kebell, who settled in Maryland in 1736

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)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.