Show ContentsBurel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Burel family

The surname Burel 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 Burel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Burel 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 Burel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Burel Spelling Variations

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

Early Notables of the Burel family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was

  • John Burrel or Burel (fl. 1590), was a Scottish poet, author of a poetical description of Queen Anne's entry into Edinburgh in 1590, entitled 'The Description of the Queenis Maiesties most honourable...

Burel Ranking

In France, the name Burel is the 868th most popular surname with an estimated 5,895 people with that name. 8

Migration of the Burel family to Ireland

Some of the Burel family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 66 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Burel migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Burel Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
  • Etienne Burel, who married in Cap-St-Ignace in 1682
  • Etienne Burel, son of Pierre and Jeanne, who married Marguerite Roussel, daughter of Jean and Louse, in Cap-Saint-Ignace, Quebec on 10th November 1682 9
  • Pierre Burel, son of Etienne and Marguerite, who married Marie-Anne Jentès, daughter of Etienne and Catherine, in Varennes, Quebec on 4th February 1699 9
Burel Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Michel Burel, son of Pierre and Marie-Anne, who married Marie-Josephte Normandin, daughter of Daniel and Louise, in Varennes, Quebec on 11th January 1734 9
  • Joseph Burel, son of Pierre and Marie-Anne, who married Marie-Louise Fontaine, daughter of Gabriel and Marie-Anne, in Varennes, Quebec on 8th October 1742 9
  • Jean-Baptiste Burel, son of Pierre and Marie-Anne, who married Véronique Latouche, daughter of Jean-Baptiste and Madeleine, in Varennes, Quebec on 11th October 1745 9
  • Jacques Burel, son of Nicolas and Françoise, who married Marie-Josephte Poiriau, daughter of Paul and Françoise, in Montreal, Quebec on 18th May 1756 9
  • Joseph Burel, son of Joseph and Marie-Louise, who married Marguerite Laleu, daughter of Jean-Baptiste and Marguerite, in Varennes, Quebec on 24th September 1770 9


The Burel 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. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  9. Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 1, Institut Drouin, 1958.


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