Berwele History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England
• Ireland

Etymology of Berwele

The history of the Berwele family name begins after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They 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 Berwele family

Early History of the Berwele family

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

Berwele Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Barwell, Barwick, Berwell, Barwel, Berwel, Berwelle and many more.

Early Notables of the Berwele family

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

Migration of the Berwele family to Ireland

Some of the Berwele 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 Berwele family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Berwele or a variant listed above were: John Barwell who settled in New England in 1678; Elizabeth Barwell settled in Maryland in 1774; William Barwell arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1833.