Show ContentsArundell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Arundell

What does the name Arundell mean?

When the ancestors of the Arundell family emigrated to England following the Norman Conquest in 1066 they brought their family name with them. They 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 Arundell family

The surname Arundell 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 Arundell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Arundell 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 Arundell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Arundell Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Arundell have been found, including Arrundell, Arundell, Arundel, Arundelle, Aringale, Arringale, Arrundale, Arrindell, Arindale, Arungale, Erringdale, Erundell and many more.

Early Notables of the Arundell family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • John Arundel (died 1504), was a medieval Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield and Bishop of Exeter; Sir John Arundell of Trerice (1495-1561), nicknamed "Tilbury Jack," was Commander of the English Royal N...
  • Sir John Arundell (died 1580), of Trerice in Cornwall, was an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Mitchell (1555-1558); Sir John Arundell (1576-1656?), nicknamed "Jack for the King", an Eng...

Migration of the Arundell family to Ireland

Some of the Arundell 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.


Arundell migration to the United States +

For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Arundell were among those contributors:

Arundell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Richard Arundell, who arrived in Virginia in 1620 7
  • William Arundell, aged 32, who landed in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Phillip" 7
  • James Arundell, who landed in Virginia in 1637 7
  • Peter Arundell, who arrived in Virginia in 1660 7
  • Lidia Arundell, who landed in Maryland in 1668 7
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Arundell migration to Australia +

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

Arundell Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss Catherine Arundell who was convicted in Exeter, Devon, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Emma Eugenia" on 25th October 1850, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Arundell (post 1700) +

  • Francis Vyvyan Jago Arundell (1780-1846), English antiquary and Oriental traveller, born at Launceston in July 1780, the only son of Thomas Jago, a solicitor in that town
  • Sir Paul Arundell Neave (b. 1948), 7th Baronet of Dagnam Park in the County of Essex, English peer
  • Judith Arundell Wright (1915-2000), Australian poet, environmentalist and campaigner for Aboriginal land rights
  • Sir Arundell Thomas Clifton Neave (1916-1992), 6th Baronet of Dagnam Park in the County of Essex, English peer
  • Sir Arundell Neave (1829-1877), 4th Baronet of Dagnam Park in the County of Essex, English peer
  • Major General Arundell Rea Leakey CB, DSO, MC & Bar (1915-1999), British military tank commander, co-inventor of the Coles Universal Sun Compass


The Arundell 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
  7. 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)
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emma-eugenia


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