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![Show Contents]() Ceale History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Cornwall, one of the original six "Celtic nations" is the homeland to the surname Ceale. A revival of the Cornish language which began in the 9th century AD has begun. No doubt this was the language spoken by distant forebears of the Ceale family. Though surnames became common during medieval times, English people were formerly known only by a single name. The way in which hereditary surnames were adopted in medieval England is fascinating. Many Cornish surnames appear to be topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees, many are actually habitation surnames. The name Ceale is a local type of surname and the Ceale family lived in the parish of Seal which had various locations in England including the counties of Northumberland, Leicester, Surrey and Kent. However, the name could have originated from a variety of sources. It could be one who worked at the hall from the Old English word "sele," 1 or, perhaps, "dweller by the sallow copse" from the Old English "siele," or "sele." 2 Early Origins of the Ceale familyThe surname Ceale was first found in Devon where Ralph de la Sele was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1168. Roger Sele was also listed in the Pipe Rolls for Norfolk in 1198. 2 "The Seals of the Derby district may hail originally from Seal, a Leicestershire parish close to the Derbyshire border." 3 Today Ceale could also be a Bengali Hindu Brahmin family name which literally means "the quality of being devoted." Early History of the Ceale familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ceale research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ceale History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Ceale Spelling VariationsCornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Seal, Seale, Seel, Sealey, Sealy, Seally, Sealley and others. Early Notables of the Ceale familyMore information is included under the topic Early Ceale Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Ceale family to Ireland
Some of the Ceale 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 Ceale familyAn inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Ceale or a variant listed above: William Seal settled in Boston in 1763; Henry Seale settled in Virginia in 1637; William Seal settled in Maryland in 1740; Charles, Joseph and Piper Seel all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1870..
- Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
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England
Ireland
