The name Argel was brought to
England by the
Normans when they conquered the country in 1066. It comes from the Dutch surname
Van Arkel. The name
Van Arkel may spring from the
Anglo-Saxon form of
Hercules, which is
Ercol. A less likely root of the name is the parish of
Ercoll Magna, or
High Ercoll in Shropshire.
Early Origins of the Argel family
The surname Argel was first found in
Berwickshire, in south east
Scotland, arriving in
Scotland soon after the
Norman Conquest in 1066. They are the northern branch of the family name descended from Anketell, or Arnketill.
Early History of the Argel family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Argel research.
Another 63 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1150, 1500, 1533, 1588, 1572, 1626 and 1621 are included under the topic Early Argel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Argel Spelling Variations
Before English spelling was standardized a few
hundred years ago,
spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Argel include Arkell, Arkle, Arkill, Arcle, Argal, Argall, Arnkell, Artell, Artill, Arctall, Arktale, Arktell, Arktull, Arkgale and many more.
Early Notables of the Argel family (pre 1700)
Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Argel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Argel family to the New World and Oceana
In
England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Argels to arrive on North American shores: Sir Samuel Argal who settled in Virginia in 1624.