Show ContentsArradale History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Arradale

What does the name Arradale mean?

The name Arradale arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Arradale family lived in Arundel in the west of the county of Sussex. This place name is thought to be derived from the Old English words, hoar, meaning gray, hune, which described a variety of plant, and dell, meaning valley. 1

Early Origins of the Arradale family

The surname Arradale was first found in the counties of Sussex in southern England, and Somerset, Dorset, and Wiltshire, to the west. The Earls of Arundel came into England in 1066, with the Conqueror, and acquired much land, descended are the Lords Arundel of Wardour.

"Linchmere [in Sussex] was held as of the honour of Arundel, by William de Perci, at an early period, and afterwards became the property of the family of Fitzalan." 2

The family name derives from the western branch of Somerset, Dorset, and Wiltshire, where they held about twenty lordships during the taking of the Domesday Book in 1086. "A Norman family, which for centuries has flourished in the West of England, traced by Dugdale to 'Rogerius Arundel,' mentioned in Domesday." 3

"According to Domesday Book, Roger de Arundel was found to be possessed of twenty-eight lordships in Somerset, 20 William the Conqueror, and he no doubt was the Norman whose name appears on the roll [of Battel Abbey]. " 4

St. Michael in Cornwall was an early homestead of the family. "The ancient name of this place was Modeshole, under which appellation John de Arundell, in 1301, certified his right to a market and fair here, which had been previously granted to Walter de Raleigh." 2

"The Arundells are amongst the few Cornish families of Norman origin, and there are still fewer of French extraction who have for so long a period as at least five or six centuries been, like them, traceable in that county. 'The Great Arundells' as they were styled - appear to have settled in Cornwall, about the middle of the thirteenth century, at the place so called (now the site of a nunnery.)" 5

And another branch of the family was found in Lifton, Devon since early times. "The manor and lordship were, by grant of Edward VI., vested in the ancestors of W. A. H. Arundell, Esq., the present proprietor." 2

"Another manor called Tregarne Condurra, which is partly in this parish, and partly in St. Keverne, St. Martin's, Manaccan, Budock, and Mawgan, formerly belonged to the Earls of Cornwall. From these it became the property of the Arundells of Lanherne, in which family it continued until the year 1737." 6

Early History of the Arradale family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Arradale research. Another 125 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1315, 1353, 1373, 1376, 1386, 1388, 1389, 1391, 1396, 1397, 1398, 1399, 1405, 1407, 1410, 1414, 1418, 1495, 1504, 1522, 1549, 1555, 1558, 1561, 1576, 1580, 1607, 1613, 1616, 1636, 1640, 1641, 1656, 1660, 1687, 1694 and 1701 are included under the topic Early Arradale History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Arradale Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Arrundell, Arundell, Arundel, Arundelle, Aringale, Arringale, Arrundale, Arrindell, Arindale, Arungale, Erringdale, Erundell and many more.

Early Notables of the Arradale family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Thomas Arundel (1353-1414), Archbishop of Canterbury in 1397 and from 1399 until his death, an outspoken opponent of the Lollards, Bishop of Ely (1373), elevated to the position of Archbishop of York (1388), served twice as Lord Chancellor (1386-1389) and (1391-1396), in 1396 he was made Archbishop of Canterbury, within a year, he was exiled by the king, he spent it in Florence, where at Richard II's request, the Roman Pope Boniface IX translated him to become Bishop of St. Andrews (1398), which was an empty fate because Scotland realized it already had...
Another 194 words (14 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Arradale Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Arradale family to Ireland

Some of the Arradale family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 62 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Arradale family

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Arradale name or one of its variants: James Arundel who settled in Virginia in 1637; John in 1652; Peter in 1626; Richard in 1650; all settled in Virginia. Robert settled in Barbados in 1670.



The Arradale Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: De hirundine
Motto Translation: From the swallow.


  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
  4. Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
  5. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  6. Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print


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