| ![Show Contents]() Rotchell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England The name Rotchell was brought to England in the wave of migration that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Rotchell family lived in either of two locations, one in Buckinghamshire, and one in Somerset. The places were originally called Rockholt, from the elements hroc, meaning rock, and holt meaning wood. However, another source claims the name was derived from a "dweller at, or near, the stony spring or stream." 1 Early Origins of the Rotchell familyThe surname Rotchell was first found in either Buckinghamshire or Somerset where this surname was originally a habitation surname. 2 Today, Rockwell Green is a village near Wellington, in the Taunton Deane district of Somerset and Rockwell End is a hamlet in Buckinghamshire which has been used as a film location for two of the Midsomer Murders series. Early History of the Rotchell familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rotchell research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1300 and 1324 are included under the topic Early Rotchell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Rotchell Spelling VariationsSpelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Rotchell have been found, including Rockwell, Rokelle, Rockewell, Rokele, Rokewell and others. Early Notables of the Rotchell familyMore information is included under the topic Early Rotchell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Rotchell familyFor many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Rotchell were among those contributors: William, Susannah, Ruth and John Rockwell settled in Nantasket in 1630; Thomas Rockwell settled in Virginia in 1637 along with Mary; Edward Rockwell arrived in San Francisco in 1850.
- Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
- Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
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