Bickell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

In ancient Anglo-Saxon England, the ancestors of the Bickell surname lived in the town of Bickleigh in the county of Devon. This place-name is derived from the Anglo Saxon personal name Bicca meaning pickaxe, and the Old English word leigh, meaning wooded area.

Early Origins of the Bickell family

The surname Bickell was first found in Devon, at Bickleigh, a parish, in the union of Tiverton, hundred of Hayridge, 4 miles from Tiverton. 1 Bickleigh is also a parish, in the union of Plympton St. Mary, hundred of Roborough in Devon. 2

Bickley is a township, in the parish of Malpas, union of Nantwich, Higher division of the hundred of Broxton, S. division of the county of Chester. 3

Early History of the Bickell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bickell research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1400, 1415, 1426, 1518, 1529, 1569, 1582, 1585, 1586, 1596, 1623, 1644, 1661, 1667, 1670, 1681, 1687, 1746 and 1754 are included under the topic Early Bickell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bickell Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Bickell are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Bickell include: Bickley, Bickle, Bickler, Bickleigh, Bigley, Bigly, Biglay and many more.

Early Notables of the Bickell family

Notables of this surname at this time include: John Bickley, Member of the Parliament for Huntingdon in 1415 and 1426; John Bickley, Member of the Parliament for Stafford in 1529; Sir Francis Bickley, 1st Baronet (c. 1582-1670); Sir Francis Bickley, 2nd Baronet (c. 1623-1681); Sir Francis Bickley, 3rd Baronet (1644-1687); and Sir Francis Bickley, 4th...
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bickell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bickell migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Bickell or a variant listed above:

Bickell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Ulrich Bickell, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1737 4
Hans Bickell, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1747 4
John Bickell, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1765 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Bickell (post 1700) +

Gustav Bickell (1838-1906), German orientalist
John Paris "Jack" Bickell (1884-1951), Canadian businessman, philanthropist, and sports team owner
Bryan Bickell (b. 1986), Canadian professional ice hockey player
Alfred "Fredy" Bickell (1918-1999), Swiss football player and coach

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
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)