Kepil History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestry of the name Kepil can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is a name for a person who made or sold cudgels, which were short, stout sticks used as weapons. The surname Kepil 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 Kepil family

The surname Kepil 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 Kepil 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 Kepil family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kepil 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 Kepil History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kepil Spelling Variations

Kepil has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Kepil have been found, including Keeble, Keble, Kebbell, Kebell, Kebill, Kebyll, Kibbel, Kibble, Kibel, Keebler and many more.

Early Notables of the Kepil 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 Kepil Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kepil family

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Kepils to arrive on North American shores: Robert Kebell settled in Maryland in 1736; Jacob, John, and Mathias Kebel all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860; Richard Keeble settled in Virginia in 1739.

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.