Worrall History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Ireland 


The name Worrall first arose amongst the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from their having lived in Worral, a place in the West Riding of Yorkshire. 1 2 The place-name Worral is composed of the Old English elements wir, which means "myrtle" and halh, which means "nook or corner of land." The place-name translates as "nook of land where bog-myrtle grows." 3

Alternatively the name could have originated at Wirral, in Cheshire. 4

Early Origins of the Worrall family

The surname Worrall was first found in the West Riding of Yorkshire, at Worrall, a small rural village and parish which dates back to at least the Domesday Book where it was listed as Wihale, part of the lands held by Roger de Busli. By 1218, some records show the village's name as Wirhal. 3 Today it is within the boundaries of the City of Sheffield and has a population of about 1,306 as of 2006. At one time, Knotty-Ash House in Lancashire was the property of the Worrall family. 5

One of the first records of the family was Roger de Wyrhal, who was listed in the Assize Rolls for Yorkshire in 1219. Records in Sheffield, South Yorkshire list Richard de Wyrall in 1351 and William Worrall in 1517. 6

Early History of the Worrall family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Worrall research. Another 195 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1388, 1586, 1590, 1614, 1630, 1664, 1705 and 1797 are included under the topic Early Worrall History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Worrall Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Worrall has appeared include Worrall, Worral, Worrell, Worrel, Worrill, Worril and others.

Early Notables of the Worrall family

Distinguished members of the family include

Worrall Ranking

In the United States, the name Worrall is the 12,286th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 7 However, in the United Kingdom, the name Worrall is ranked the 974th most popular surname with an estimated 7,149 people with that name. 8

Migration of the Worrall family to Ireland

Some of the Worrall family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Worrall migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Worrall arrived in North America very early:

Worrall Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Worrall Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Worrall migration to Australia +

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

Worrall Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Worrall 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:

Worrall Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Worrall 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
Worrall Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Worrall (post 1700) +
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