Bearwell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Bearwell

What does the name Bearwell mean?

Bearwell is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Bearwell family lived in Leicestershire in the midlands of England. A parish in this area bears the name Barwellwith a population today of about 6,300. The family derives their name from this location. The name Barwell is composed of the Old English elements bar, meaning wild boar, and well, which means well or stream.

Early Origins of the Bearwell family

The surname Bearwell was first found in Leicestershire in the midlands of England where they held a family seat soon after the Norman Conquest by Duke William of Normandy in 1066 A.D. The Barwells or Barwicks were originally from Berville in Normandy where they held many knight's fees, and estates.

Early History of the Bearwell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bearwell research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1639 and 1912 are included under the topic Early Bearwell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bearwell Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Barwell, Barwick, Berwell, Barwel, Berwel, Berwelle and many more.

Early Notables of the Bearwell family

More information is included under the topic Early Bearwell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bearwell family to Ireland

Some of the Bearwell 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.

Migration of the Bearwell family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Bearwell or a variant listed above: John Barwell who settled in New England in 1678; Elizabeth Barwell settled in Maryland in 1774; William Barwell arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1833.