The name Otterwell was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. It comes from the Norman given name of Ottiwell.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Otterwell research. Another 126 words (9 lines of text) covering the year 1120 is included under the topic Early Otterwell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Otterwell Spelling Variations
A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Ottiwell, Ottewell, Ottawell, Ottowell, Ottiwill, Ottwell and many more.
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Early Notables of the Otterwell family
More information is included under the topic Early Otterwell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Otterwell family
Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Otterwell 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
