Shell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The surname Shell is a Westphalian-German nickname. Such surnames were very common in Westphalia. They were adapted from traditional eke-names, or added names, that described physical characteristics of their bearers. Shell is a hereditary surname for a person who was either wild or clamorous. The name was originally derived from the German word "schel," which means "noisy" or "loud."
Early Origins of the Shell family
The surname Shell was first found in Westphalia, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region. From the 13th century on the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the German nation. As early as 1526 they had their seat at the manor Schellenberg near Essen.
Early History of the Shell family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shell research. Another 201 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1510, 1562, 1620, 1648, 1680, 1701, 1763, 1774, 1775, 1808, 1809 and 1854 are included under the topic Early Shell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Shell Spelling Variations
One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Shell include Schell, Schelle, Schelling, Scheller and others.
Early Notables of the Shell family
Notables of the period with the name Shell were Johann Heinrich Schmelzer (ca. 1620-1680), an Austrian composer and violinist ; Johann Schelle (1648-1701), a German Baroque composer; Friedrich Wilhelm von Schelling (1775-1854, ennobled...
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Shell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Shell Ranking
In the United States, the name Shell is the 2,399th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 1
Shell migration to the United States +
Many Germans emigrated across the Atlantic to seek better lives in North America. This great migration began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century. Resettlement was particularly attractive to those from Westphalia as a means of escape from poverty and religious persecution. For many Westphalian farmers, the chance to own one's own land was also a major incentive. The process of the widespread colonization of the United States began in 1650, when many immigrants from Germany settled in pockets in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. In Canada, German settlements centered around Ontario and the Prairie provinces. Among them:
Shell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- John Shell, who landed in Virginia in 1643 2
- Mary Shell, who landed in Virginia in 1663 2
Shell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Caspar Shell, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1767 2
- Friedrich Shell, who arrived in New York, NY in 1782 2
Shell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Christoph Shell, aged 22, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1804 2
- Thomas Shell, aged 30, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1833 2
- E Shell, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 2
- A Shell, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 2
- Mrs. C B Shell, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 2
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Shell Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Patrick Shell, who landed in Arkansas in 1906 2
Shell migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Shell Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
- Mr. John Shell U.E. who settled in Eastern District [Cornwall], Ontario c. 1786 he served in the Royal Regiment of New York, married with 4 children 3
Shell Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
- Edward Shell, Irish settler who arrived in Churchill in 1812 before arriving in the Red River, Canada in 1814
Shell migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Shell Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Mr. John Shell, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Earl Grey" on 4th October 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4
- Mary Shell, aged 19, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1850 aboard the ship "Fatima" 5
Contemporary Notables of the name Shell (post 1700) +
- Mary Katherine Jaynes Shell (1927-2018), American politician and the first woman to have served as mayor of Bakersfield, California (1981–1985)
- R. B. Shell, American Republican politician, Candidate for Presidential Elector for Virginia, 1920 6
- Malcolm Shell, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Tennessee, 1936 6
- Loren A. Shell, American Republican politician, Chair of Bollinger County Republican Party, 1943 6
- Joseph C. Shell, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from California, 1964 6
- George Washington Shell (1831-1899), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Representative from South Carolina 4th District, 1891-95 6
- Daniel Shell, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Minnesota, 1908 6
- Donald L. Shell (1924-2015), American computer scientist who designed the eponymous Shell sort sorting algorithm
- Karl Shell (b. 1938), American theoretical economist, specializing in macroeconomics and monetary economics
- Ray Shell, American film, TV and stage actor, as well as an author, director and producer
- ... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Historic Events for the Shell family +
- Mr. Arthur J Shell (1883-1917), English Gunner aboard the SS Curaca from Chester, England, United Kingdom who survived the Halifax Explosion (1917) but later died due to injuries 7
Citations +
- "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)
- Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-gray
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The barque FATIMA 1850, 521 tons. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850Fatima.htm
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
- Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance