Show ContentsBorrell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Borrell Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Early Origins and Etymology of Borrell

The surname Borrell was first found in North Yorkshire at Burrill, a small village in the Hambleton district that dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was listed as Borel. 1 It literally meant "hill with a fort," from the Old English words "burh" + "hyll." 2

"This name is early found upon the Border, particularly in the East Marches. Henry Burel witnessed charter of the church of Pencathlan to the Abbey of Kelso c. 1180. William Bwrel attested a document concerning the land of Cnoc in Renfrew, 1234. William Burel witnessed gift of land in Ayton to William Scot of Coldingham, c. 1250. 3

Early rolls revealed the name as both a forename and a surname. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed: Johanna, relicta Burel, Oxfordshire; Burellus de Rathesnese, Norfolk; and Emma Burel, Norfolk. Later, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed: Willelmus Burell; and Johannes Borell as both holding lands there at that time. 4

"Burrell has long been a Lincolnshire name. In Cromwell's time, Sir John Burrell of Dunsby and Redman Burrell, Esq., of Fulbeck, compounded their estates for £687 and £770 respectively (O.). The name is also now found in Norfolk. Burrell was the name of a noted family of Kent and Sussex during the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries, and one of the Burrells of Beckenham, Kent, was High Sheriff of Kent in 1722; Northumberland is stated to have been the home of the family in the reign of Edward I. " 5

Farther south in Cornwall, "Burell [in the parish of Saltash] has been the seat of a family of this name for many generations. This residence can be traced back prior to the reign of Edward II. at which period one of them married the co-heiress of Woodland. The present possessor is Arthur Burell, Esq. but he is not known to have descended from the ancient family, who formerly had their seat here." 6

Over the years, extensions of the root name were found including John Burelman in London in 1311. 7

Early History of the Borrell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Borrell research. Another 278 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1069, 1285, 1357, 1391, 1449, 1473, 1477, 1482, 1504, 1536, 1542, 1544, 1551, 1567, 1573, 1589, 1590, 1605, 1645, 1653, 1657 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Borrell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Borrell Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Burrell, Burrel, Birrell, Burrill, Burril, Birril, Berrill and many more.

Early Notables of the Borrell family

Abraham Burrell (1589-1657), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Huntingdon (1645-1653), supported the Parliamentary cause in the English Civil War. Robert Birrel (fl. 1567-1605), was a Scottish diarist and Burgess of Edinburgh. "There is not much minuteness in the record of events till about 1567, when Birrel probably began to keep a note of them. There is no evidence in the 'Diary' regarding the political or religious views of the writer, facts being simply recorded as they happened, without comment or...
Another 81 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Borrell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Borrell family to Ireland

Some of the Borrell family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Borrell migration to the United States +



Borrell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • F M Borrell, aged 19, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1855 8

Borrell migration to Australia +

Borrell Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Edward Borrell, British Convict who was convicted in Lincoln, England for life, transported aboard the "Asia" on 5th November 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land)1836 9
  • William Borrell, aged 39, a mason, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "William Prowse" 10

Borrell migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Borrell Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Borrell, (b. 1838), aged 22, British farm labourer travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd December 1860 11

Contemporary Notables of the name Borrell (post 1700) +

  • Josep Borrell Fontelles (b. 1947), Spanish politician, born in Catalan village of La Pobla de Segur, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy since 1 December 2019, President of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2007, Vice-President of the European Commission (2019-)
  • Dick Borrell (b. 1951), American politician
  • Charles W. Borrell, American politician, U.S. Consular Agent in Volo, 1889-97
  • Jonathan Edward Borrell (b. 1980), English guitarist and singer, frontman of the rock band Razorlight
  • H.P. Borrell (d. 1851), English numismatist, after learning business in London, established himself as a trader at Smyrna, where he resided for thirty-three years 12
  • Teresa Borrell (b. 1962), New Zealand shooting competitor, he competed at the 2002 Commonwealth Games
  • Pere Borrell del Caso (1835-1910), Catalan Spanish painter, illustrator and engraver
  • Pedro José Borrell Bentz (b. 1944), Dominican architect and archeologist
  • Lazaro Manuel Borrell Hernández (b. 1972), Cuban former professional basketball player
  • ... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Borrell Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Abbaereo
  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  6. Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
  7. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  8. 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)
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1835
  10. South Australian Register Monday 21st August 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) William Prowse 1856. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/williamprowse1854.shtml
  11. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  12. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 5 Feb. 2019

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