Odinell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Odinell is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Odinell family lived in Warwickshire.

Early Origins of the Odinell family

The surname Odinell was first found in Warwickshire at Maxtoke, a parish, in the union of Meriden, Atherstone division of the hundred of Hemlingford. "

This place, written Machintone in Domesday Book, is therein certified as having woods one mile in length and half a mile in breadth. William de Odingsells, in the reign of Henry III., had a charter of free warren in all his demesne lands here; and his son and successor claimed by prescription, in the reign of Edward I., a court-leet, with gallows, tumbrell, and assize of bread and beer, which were allowed." 1

Early History of the Odinell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Odinell research. Another 48 words (3 lines of text) covering the year 1130 is included under the topic Early Odinell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Odinell Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Odingsells, Odingsell, Odingells, Odingell, Odingsleigh, Odingsly, Odingslie, Odingsley and many more.

Early Notables of the Odinell family

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

Migration of the Odinell family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Odinell or a variant listed above: Thomas Odingsells who settled in Salem Massachusetts in 1635.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.