Savell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Savell is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Savell family lived in Yorkshire. Their name, however, is a reference to Saville, in Anjou, France, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. 1

Roger and Gerard de Sevele or Savale occur in the Norman Exchequer Rolls of 1180-95. 2

Early Origins of the Savell family

The surname Savell was first found in Yorkshire where "the family of Savile was one of the most illustrious in the West Riding. Some writers have fancifully ascribed to it an Italian origin, but it probably had its rise at Silkston, in this county." 3

More specifically, many of the family held estates at Morley, a township and ecclesiastical district, in the parish of Batley, union of Dewsbury. In the war during the reign of Charles I., Howley Hall, here, for eighteen generations the seat of the Saville family, was garrisoned for the parliament; and the church of the ancient parish of Morley was let on lease by Saville, Earl of Sussex, to the Presbyterian party for 500 years: the building is still in possession of trustees as an Independent meetinghouse, forming a solitary exception to the general restitution which took place at the Restoration." 4

Stainland in the West Riding of Yorkshire was an ancient family seat. "Bradley Hall, here, the seat of the ancestors of the Earl of Mexborough, which was burnt down in 1629, and subsequently rebuilt, is now a farmhouse." 4

Thornhill, again in the West Riding was home to a branch of the family. "This place was the seat of the Thornhill family, for many generations proprietors of the manor, which was conveyed by marriage in 1404 to the Savilles, from whom the estate descended to the second son of Sir George Saville's sister: that lady had been married to Richard, Earl of Scarborough, ancestor of the present owner. The church is an ancient and venerable structure, chiefly in the early English style, with a square embattled tower: on the south side of the chancel is a chapel containing numerous monuments to the Saville family, one of which, entirely of oak, has the effigies of Sir John Saville and his two wives." 4

Early History of the Savell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Savell research. Another 115 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1253, 1612, 1633, 1640, 1641, 1642, 1644, 1665, 1673, 1679, 1680, 1687, 1695 and 1700 are included under the topic Early Savell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Savell Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Savile, Savill, Saville, Seville and others.

Early Notables of the Savell family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir George Savile, 1st Baronet; Sir William Savile, 3rd Baronet (1612-1644), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Yorkshire in 1640 and Old Sarum (1641-1642); George Savile, 1st Marquess of...
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Savell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Savell Ranking

In the United States, the name Savell is the 12,735^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Savell migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, travelling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Savell or a variant listed above:

Savell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Tho Savell, who arrived in Virginia in 1638 6
William Savell, who landed in Virginia in 1663 6

Savell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Georges Savell, aged 25, who immigrated to the United States, in 1893

Savell Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Alfred Savell, aged 28, who landed in America, in 1913
Morris Savell, aged 24, who settled in America from London, England, in 1914
Robert E. Savell, aged 29, who immigrated to the United States, in 1922

Contemporary Notables of the name Savell (post 1700) +

Virginia S. Savell, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from California, 1960 7
Edith Alma Eileen Savell (1883-1970), New Zealand farmer and volunteer nurse from Lyttelton, Canterbury

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
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
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html