Darrell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England

The name Darrell reached England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Darrell family lived in Buckinghamshire. They were originally from Airel, in La Manche, Normandy, and it is from the local form of this name, D'Airel, meaning from Airel, that their name derives. "William de Orrell, a gentleman of the north parts of Normandie, soe called of a castle and family of that countrie, the which came in with the Conqueror, being for his good services done in he North... endowed with the possessions of a Saxon called Etheldred of Broadsworth, an ancient seat twelve miles west of Yorke." Such is the statement attached to an old pedigree quoted in Burke's Commoners. ^[1]

Early Origins of the Darrell family

The surname Darrell was first found in Buckinghamshire where this ancient and noble family of Norman descent came over with the Conqueror and seated themselves at Lillingstone before the year 1200. "Richard son of Elais Dayrell being seised of a messuage and half of knight's fee there in King Richard the First's time, or the beginning of King John's reign. Before 1306 the Dayrells became possessed of the fee of the manor, which has ever since continued in the family." ^[2] The Dyarells of Shudy Camps in Cambridgeshire are a younger branch of the family descending from the second son of Paul Dayrell of Lillinstone, Sheriff of Buckinghamshire in 1579. The parish of Horkstow in Lincolnshire "contains a family vault for the Darells, formerly owners of property in the parish." ^[3]

Important Dates for the Darrell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Darrell research. Another 235 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1415, 1539, 1589, 1560, 1589, 1450, 1491, 1465, 1530, 1529, 1513, 1556, 1539, 1589, 1572, 1563, 1651, 1721 and 1845 are included under the topic Early Darrell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Darrell Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Darrell family name include Darrell, Dorrell, Dayrell, Darrel, Darell, Darel and others.

Early Notables of the Darrell family (pre 1700)

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Elizabeth Darrell, the first wife of John Seymour (c. 1450-1491), and paternal grandmother of Queen Jane Seymour; Sir Edward Darrell (c. 1465-1530), of Littlecote, Wiltshire, an English politician, Member of the Parliament for Wiltshire in 1529; Elizabeth Darrell (born c. 1513-c. 1556 ), the long-term mistress and muse of Sir Thomas Wyatt, they...
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Darrell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Darrell migration to the United States

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Darrell family to immigrate North America:

Darrell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

• Thomas Darrell, who arrived in Maryland in 1634 ^[4]
• John Darrell who landed in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1637 and moved to Salem
• William Darrell, who settled in Virginia in 1643
• John Darrell, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1643 ^[4]
• Moses and Mary Darrell, who settled in Virginia in 1654

Darrell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

• Anne Darrell, who arrived in Virginia in 1705 ^[4]
• Nathl Darrell, who landed in Virginia in 1714 ^[4]
• Johan Christoph Darrell, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1754 ^[4]

Darrell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

• Samuel Darrell, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1855 ^[4]

Contemporary Notables of the name Darrell (post 1700)

• Johnny Darrell (1940-1997), American country music artist
• Dimebag Darrell (1966-2004), stage name of Darrell Lance Abbott, an American guitarist and songwriter best known as a founding member of two bands, Pantera and Damageplan
• Katrina Darrell (b. 1987), nicknamed "Bikini Girl", an American singer and model
• Michael Alan "Mick or Mike" Darrell (b. 1947), English former professional footballer who made more than 100 appearances from 1965 to 1974
• Steven "Steve" Darrell (1904-1970), born Darryl Eugene Horsfall, an American actor, perhaps best known for his role as the wise Comanche chief Little Elk in the 1958 episode "Renegades" of the ABC/Warner Brothers western television series, Cheyenne
• Seion Darrell (b. 1986), Bermudian soccer player
• Gary Darrell (b. 1947), retired Bermudian association football player who played from 1963 to 1980, member of the Bermuda National Team (1967-1973), manager of the Bermuda Team in 1992
• Clipper Darrell, nickname of Darrell Bailey, a superfan of the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association and season ticket holder since the 2000-01 season
• Shawn Darrell Jeter (b. 1966), American former Major League Baseball outfielder, son of the Major League Baseball outfielder Johnny Jeter
• Allen Darrell McKnight (b. 1964), Northern Irish former international footballer

Citations

1. ^ 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)
2. ^ Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
3. ^ Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
4. ^ 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)