Covill History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

When the ancestors of the Covill family emigrated to England following the Norman Conquest in 1066 they brought their family name with them. They 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 Covill family

The surname Covill 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 Covill family

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

Covill Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Covill has been recorded under many different variations, including Covell, Covel and others.

Early Notables of the Covill family

Outstanding 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 Covill Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Covill migration to the United States +

To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Covills were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America:

Covill Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Covill, who arrived in New York in 1834 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Covill (post 1700) +

Louis J. Covill, American politician, First Selectman of Brookfield, Connecticut, 1937 5
George Covill, American politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Glastonbury, 1831-32 5
Bernice Covill, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1980 5
Arba Covill, American politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Killingly, 1820, 1825, 1829, 1833 5
Reginald John Covill (1905-2002), English cricketer from Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, active in the 1920s and 1930s
Dennis Covill OC, Canadian founder of Nautel Ltd., a Canadian manufacturer of AM and FM radio broadcast transmitters in 1969

Citations +

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)
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, May 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html