Beal History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 


The Beal surname is thought to have been created from one of the places so named (in Northumberland, and in West Yorkshire). The place name derives from the Old English "beo," meaning "bee" and "hyll," meaning "hill." There is also a Norman name Beal derived from the Old French "bel."

Early Origins of the Beal family

The surname Beal was first found in Northumberland. Today Beeley is a village and civil parish in the Derbyshire Dales district of northern Derbyshire, near Bakewell. In the Domesday Book, the place name was listed as Begelie 1

Also in Northumberland, Beal with Lowlin is a township, in the parish of Kyloe, union of Berwick-Upon-Tweed, in Islandshire. 2 Bealon-the-Hill, is a hamlet in north Durham, close to the sea. "In Testa de Nevill it is spelt Behil, and it is recorded there that Gilbert de Behil held it of the see of Durham." 3 4

Raine's History and Antiquities of North Durham notes Thomas de Behil there in 1382 and Laurence Beil in 1517.

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 noted Willelmus Beall as holding lands there at that time. 4

Early History of the Beal family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beal research. Another 61 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1203, 1541, 1601, 1608, 1621, 1632, 1651, 1660, 1664, 1665, 1674, 1683, 1684, 1697, 1699, 1813, 1816, 1820, 1840 and 1854 are included under the topic Early Beal History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beal Spelling Variations

Although the name, Beal, appeared in many references, from time to time, the surname was shown with the spellings Beal, Beale, Beall, Bealle, Beel, Beele, Beales, Bealer and many more.

Early Notables of the Beal family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was

Beal Ranking

In the United States, the name Beal is the 1,639th most popular surname with an estimated 19,896 people with that name. 6 However, in France, the name Beal is ranked the 1,082nd most popular surname with an estimated 4,991 people with that name. 7


Beal migration to the United States +

Gradually becoming disenchanted with life in Ireland many of these uprooted families sailed aboard the armada of sailing ships known as the "White Sails" which plied the stormy Atlantic. These overcrowded ships often arrived with only 60 to 70% of their original passenger list, many dying of cholera, typhoid, dysentery or small pox. In North America, some of the first immigrants who could be considered kinsmen of the Beal family name Beal, or who bore a variation of the surname were

Beal Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Beal Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Beal Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Beal migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Beal Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Beal Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Beal migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Beal Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Beal migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Beal Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Beal migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 15
Beal Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Beal (post 1700) +


Suggested Readings for the name Beal +
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