Tyrell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Ireland 


The ancient Anglo-Saxon culture once found in Britain is the soil from which the many generations of the Tyrell family have grown. The name Tyrell was given to a member of the family who was a stubborn or obstinate person. The surname Tyrell is derived from the Old French word tirer, which means to draw. This is used in the same sense as the word tirand, which means "one who pulls on the reins;" thus it may be that it was used as a nickname for a stubborn person, before coming to be used as a hereditary surname.

Early Origins of the Tyrell family

The surname Tyrell was first found in Essex where one of the first records of the name is Walter Tirel III, (1065-c. 1100), Castellan of Pontoise and Lord of Poix, son of Walter Tirell II. 1

He is remembered for his involvement in the death of King William II (William Rufus) on a hunting trip in the New Forest on August 2nd, 1100. Some say it was an accident when Walter shot an arrow at a stag which glanced from the beast and struck King William II, while others disagree. 2

However, accordingly to chroniclers of the time, they parted at the beginning of the hunt on good terms, but the king was later found with one of the arrows given to Walter by the king in his chest. There is a stone in the Forest at Stoney Cross marking the spot where the King fell. 3

Walter's grandson Hugh Tyrrel (died 1199) took part in the Norman Conquest of Ireland where he became the first Baron of Castleknock and later took part in the Third Crusade.

Another distinct branch of the family was found at Gipping in Suffolk. "This place, which takes its name from the small river Gipping, is the property of C. Tyrell, Esq., whose ancestor, Sir Walter Tyrell, Knt., held the lordship at the time of the Domesday survey." 4

Early History of the Tyrell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tyrell research. Another 140 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1370, 1412, 1423, 1450, 1502, 1597, 1617, 1623, 1642, 1643, 1661, 1676, 1701 and 1718 are included under the topic Early Tyrell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tyrell Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Tyrell family name include Tyrell, Terrell, Terrill, Tyrill, Turrell, Tirell, Tyrrell and many more.

Early Notables of the Tyrell family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Tyrell Ranking

In the United States, the name Tyrell is the 11,614th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Tyrell family to Ireland

Some of the Tyrell family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 78 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Tyrell migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Tyrell surname or a spelling variation of the name include :

Tyrell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Tyrell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Tyrell migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Tyrell Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Tyrell migration to Australia +

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

Tyrell Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Tyrell 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:

Tyrell Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Tyrell 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. 11
Tyrell Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Tyrell (post 1700) +
Fastest Delivery Possible

Digital Products on Checkout, all other products filled in 1 business day

Money Back Guarantee

Yes, all products 100% Guraranteed

BBB A+ Rating

The Best Rating possible

Secure Online Payment

Entire site uses SSL / Secure Certificate