Becknall History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Becknall dates back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from their residence in or around the region of Bagnall, which was in the parish of Stoke-upon-Trent in the county of Staffordshire. 1 2 "The Bagnalls, at present best represented in the district of Stoke - on - Trent, were an ancient family of Newcastle - under - Lyme, members of which filled at various times the office of mayor; the family came into possession of the manor of Hanley 150 years ago. Bagnall is the name of a Staffordshire village." 3

Early Origins of the Becknall family

The surname Becknall was first found in Staffordshire, at Bagnall, a township, in the parish of Bucknall, union of Stoke-upon-Trent, N. division of the hundred of Pirehill. 4

Early History of the Becknall family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Becknall research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1600, 1631, 1779 and 1925 are included under the topic Early Becknall History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Becknall 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 Becknall include Bagnall, Bagnal, Bagnold, Bagenald, Bagnald, Bagenal, Bagnell and many more.

Early Notables of the Becknall family

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

Migration of the Becknall family to Ireland

Some of the Becknall family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 40 words (3 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 Becknall 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 Becknall or a variant listed above: Walter Bagnall who settled in Maine in 1626; Walter Bagnall settled in Massachusetts in 1620; John Bagnall settled in Jamaica in 1679; Thomas Bagnall settled in New England in 1654..

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.