Show ContentsKettelwell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Anglo-Saxon name Kettelwell comes from when the family resided in the town of Kettlewell in the North Yorkshire. Kettelwell is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties.

Early Origins of the Kettelwell family

The surname Kettelwell was first found in Yorkshire, at Kettlewell, a village in Upper Wharfedale, North Yorkshire, which dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was listed as Cheteleuuelle 1 and literally meant "spring or stream in a deep valley," having derived from the Old English words "cete" + "wella." 2 In 1686, Kettlewell and the neighbouring village Starbotton were almost destroyed in a flood.

Early History of the Kettelwell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kettelwell research. Another 147 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1379, 1397, 1399, 1583, 1653 and 1695 are included under the topic Early Kettelwell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kettelwell Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Kettelwell has been recorded under many different variations, including Kettlewell, Kettlwell, Ketlewell, Kettelwell, Ketelwell, Ketelwelle, Ketelwel and many more.

Early Notables of the Kettelwell family

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

Migration of the Kettelwell family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Kettelwell or a variant listed above: William Kettlewell, who sailed to Philadelphia in 1856. In Canada Richard Kettlewell was registered in Elgin County, Ontario in 1872 and George Kettlewell was living in Middlesex County, Ontario in 1877..



  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)


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