Show ContentsCandell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the Candell family arrived in England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Candell came from the Norman name Cundel which arrived with the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

The parish of Cundall, comprising the townships of Cundall with Leckby, and Norton-le-Clay, in the wapentake of Hallikeld, and the township of Fawdington in that of Birdforth, North Riding of Yorkshire is home to the family. 1

Early Origins of the Candell family

The surname Candell was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat in the North Riding as Lords of the Manor of Cundall, originally pre Conquest, Cundel, at the time of the Norman Conquest of England by Duke William of Normandy in 1066. 2

In the Domesday Book survey taken in 1086 the village of Cundall was held by Alured from the Count of Mortain. Conjecturally the Cundalls are descended from this Norman noble. 3

Early English rolls provide us a glimpse of the spelling variations used through Medieval times. Today we typically need to look beyond the spellings of these entries and concentrate on a phonetic appreciation of the names. Ralph de Cundale was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1176 and later, Richard de Kundale was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire in 1301. 4 The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included an entry for Willelmus de Cundall as holding lands there at that time. 5

"The Cundalls, or Cundells, or Cundills, derive their name from a North Riding parish. During the 17th and 18th centuries the Cundalls were well known in Ripon, and frequently filled the office of mayor." 6

Early History of the Candell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Candell research. Another 27 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1623, 1627, 1757, 1804, 1808, 1810, 1811, 1814 and 1824 are included under the topic Early Candell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Candell Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Cundall, Cundal, Cundell, Cundel, Cundil, Cundill, Condall, Condal, Condel and many more.

Early Notables of the Candell family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Henry Condell (died 1627), an English actor in the King's Men. With John Heminges, he was instrumental in preparing the First Folio, the collected plays of Shakespeare, published in 1623. 7Another Henry Condell (b. 1757) was a violinist in the orchestras at the Opera House and Drury Lane and Covent Garden Theatres. In...
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Candell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Candell family to Ireland

Some of the Candell family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Candell migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Candell or a variant listed above:

Candell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Patrick Candell, who arrived in Virginia in 1637 8
  • George Candell, who landed in Virginia in 1648 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Candell (post 1700) +

  • Soren Candell, American cinematographer, known for Spider Man: Hunted (2022), Led to Slaughter (2023) and Compassion Part II: Empathy (2019)
  • Terence Candell, American actor, producer, known for Fight Back! (2014) and Family First the Marshawn Lynch Story (2015)
  • MarLee Candell (b. 1969), American actress and costume designer from Texas City, Texas, known for Kid Quick (2000), Discovering Ella (2023) and Kimmy (2010)
  • Stephen Candell, American visual effects specialist, known for How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014), Puss in Boots (2011) and Rise of the Guardians (2012)


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  5. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  6. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  7. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  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)


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