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![Show Contents]() Couville History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
The name Couville was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Couville family lived in Yorkshire. The family was originally from Chauvel in Manche, Normandy, and it is to their residence in this area that the name refers. 1 Another source claims the name could have been a nickname from the Old English word "cufle" for "cloak." 2 Early Origins of the Couville familyThe surname Couville was first found in Yorkshire where Robert Covell was listed there in 1476 in the York Freeman's Register. 3 Today, the Covel variant is popular in Lincolnshire. Early History of the Couville familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Couville research. Another 74 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1584, 1588, 1589, 1595, 1596, 1601, 1614, 1638, 1654, 1658, 1661, 1688 and 1722 are included under the topic Early Couville History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Couville Spelling VariationsNorman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval 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. The name has been spelled Covell, Covel and others. Early Notables of the Couville familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was John Covel, Covell, Colvill (1638-1722), English clergyman and scientist who became Master of Christ's College, Cambridge (1688-1722) and vice-chancellor of the University. He was the son of William Covel, and was born at Horningsheath, Suffolk, on 2 April 1638. "After receiving his early education at the grammar school, Bury St. Edmunds, he was admitted a member of Christ's College, Cambridge, on 31 March 1654, being then in his sixteenth year. He...
Another 79 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Couville Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Couville familyMany English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Couville or a variant listed above: Ezra Covell who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1635 with his brother Joseph; Nicholas Covell settled in Virginia in 1648; Cesara Covell settled in New England in 1635.
- The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
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