Orgefall History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestors of the bearers of the Orgefall family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in the settlement of Horsfall in Todmorden in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The name Orgefall may have also been applied as an occupational surname to someone who worked at a stable or horse pasture. The surname is derived from the Old English words hors, which means horse, and falod, which means enclosure or field.

Early Origins of the Orgefall family

The surname Orgefall was first found in Yorkshire, where they held a family seat from very early times.

Early History of the Orgefall family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Orgefall research. Another 64 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1586, 1609, 1661 and 1796 are included under the topic Early Orgefall History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Orgefall 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 Orgefall include Horsfall, Horsefall, Horsfal, Horesfall and others.

Early Notables of the Orgefall family

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

Migration of the Orgefall family to Ireland

Some of the Orgefall family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Orgefall 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 Orgefall or a variant listed above: Luke Horsefall, who sailed to America in 1729; John Horsfall to Philadelphia in 1844; and John Horsfall to Allegheny County, Pennsylvania in 1884.