Reville History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Spain
Ireland

The ancestors of the Reville family brought their name to England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Warwickshire. Their name, however, is a reference to Reville, near Bernai, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. 1

The name is derived from the Old French word "revel" which means "pride, rebellion, sport", from the word "reveler" which means "to rebel." Interestingly, there is a font-name named "Revel" which was common in Old French and Middle English records which may actually be from the Latin word "rebellus."

Early Origins of the Reville family

The surname Reville was first found in Hertford and Northamptonshire where Robert Revel held two estates as early as 1130. A few years later Richard Revel was listed as holding two fees in barony in Somerset in 1165. Henry Revel was one of the nobles taken at Alnwick Castle, Northumberland in 1174. 2

Sir Richard Revell or Rivell (died 1222) was an English knight and landowner, said to have been the son of William Revell, probably a landowner in Devonshire and lord of Revelstoke in that county. He received from Henry II grants of 'Curi' or Curry Rivell, and Langport, both in Somerset, and is said to have built a castle at Langport. He appears to have had a son named Richard, who probably predeceased his father. 3

Early History of the Reville family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Reville research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1305 and 1544 are included under the topic Early Reville History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Reville Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Reville were recorded, including Revel, Revell, Revill, Reville and others.

Early Notables of the Reville family

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

Migration of the Reville family to Ireland

Some of the Reville family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 102 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Reville migration to Canada +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Reville arrived in North America very early:

Reville Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

John Reville, aged 22, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Lady Douglas" from New Ross

Contemporary Notables of the name Reville (post 1700) +

Albert Réville (1826-1906), French Protestant theologian
Florence Reville Gibbs (1890-1964), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Representative from Georgia 8th District, 1940-41 4

Historic Events for the Reville family +

HMAS Sydney II

Mr. Frederick William Reville (1909-1941), Australian Warrant Engineer from Drummoyne, New South Wales, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 5

Citations +

Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 3) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp