Show ContentsKentel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the bearers of the Kentel family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in Kentwell, in the county of Suffolk. Kentwell dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Kanewella, part of the lands held by Frodo, the Abbot's Brother. "Aelfgar held Kentwell freely under Siward of Maldon as a manor with 2 carucates of land with Soke. There were thereon at that time 7 villans, and afterwards, and now 4 villans." 1 Today, Kentwell Hall is a stately home in Long Melford, Suffolk and is used for numerous film and television productions, However, it does date back to presumably the manor mentioned in the Domesday Book but in a very different form. Kentwell Hall was owned later by Galleus from 1145 to 1148. In the early 13th century, records show that Sir Gilbert de Kentewell held the manor, but by 1252 had been granted by King Henry III to Sir William de Valence.

Early Origins of the Kentel family

The surname Kentel was first found in Suffolk where the earliest records were in the year 1273 when Gilbert de Kentwelle was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls. This is presumed to be the senior line of the family name but they held a family seat there from a very early date, probably the 10th century.

Early History of the Kentel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kentel research. Another 29 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1319, 1406, 1452 and 1500 are included under the topic Early Kentel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kentel Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Kentel include Cantwall, Cantwell, Cantwel, Kantwell, Kentwell and many more.

Early Notables of the Kentel family

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

Ireland Migration of the Kentel family to Ireland

Some of the Kentel family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 185 words (13 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kentel family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Kentel or a variant listed above: John Cantwell settled in Virginia in 1623; Mary Cantwell settled in Pennsylvania in 1685; Edward, Joseph, Leonard, Mathias, Michael, and Patrick all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1870..



  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)


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