The vast movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 brought the Otterwel family name to the British Isles. Otterwel comes from the Norman given name of Ottiwell.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Otterwel research. Another 126 words (9 lines of text) covering the year 1120 is included under the topic Early Otterwel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Otterwel Spelling Variations
Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Ottiwell, Ottewell, Ottawell, Ottowell, Ottiwill, Ottwell and many more.
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Early Notables of the Otterwel family
More information is included under the topic Early Otterwel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Otterwel family
To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Otterwel or a variant listed above: Thomas Ottawell who arrived in Virginia in 1623; Thomas Ottowell, who came to Virginia in 1624; George Ottawell, who settled in Maryland in 1754; and Bridget Otwell, who settled in New York State in 1853..
England
