Atthil History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The history of the Atthil family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in southeastern England mainly in the counties of Oxfordshire and Cambridgeshire where they were found since the early Middle Ages. [1]

The name is toponymic; that is, it is descriptive of the place where the original bearer lived. Literally the name is derived from the Old English atwell, meaning dweller at the well. [2]

Another source noted that the name is from "Atte Welle; a location name. Adopted as a surname 1258-1358, Court of Husting, London. " [3]

Early Origins of the Atthil family

The surname Atthil was first found in south eastern England mainly in the counties of Oxfordshire and Cambridgeshire where they held a family seat for many, many centuries. They are recorded as possessing estates before the advent of the Norman Conquest in 1066 A.D. but many of them were lost to their Norman overlords by forfeit. The Eatwell variant is thought to be related to a Hugo de Hetewelle, listed in 1187 in the Pipe Rolls for Derbyshire. [4]

There were a multitude of early spellings of the name. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list: Adam Ate Welle, Oxfordshire; and John Atewelle, Cambridgeshire. The Writ of Parliament list: William atte Well, 1313 and John Atwelle. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 lists Willelmus Attewell.

In Norfolk, Jef the Franch Atwelle, was rector of Erpingham, Norfolk, 1448 and Hugh Attwyll, was parson of Cawverly, Devon, 1602. [5]

Early History of the Atthil family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Atthil research. Another 120 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1258, 1495, 1499, 1621 and 1609 are included under the topic Early Atthil History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Atthil Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Atthil include Attwill, Attwell, Atwill, Atwell, Atthill, Athill, Atwool, Attwel and many more.

Early Notables of the Atthil family (pre 1700)

Distinguished members of the family include John Atwell, Rector of Exeter College, Oxford (1495-1499); and Hugh Atwell (died 1621), an English actor, one of the 'Children of her Majesty's...
Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Atthil Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Atthil family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Atthil or a variant listed above: Benjamin Attwell, who settled in New London in Massachusetts in 1638; Ann Attwell, who came to Maryland in 1661; Mary Attwell, sent to Nevis as a servant from Bristol in 1661.

Citations +

Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print