Dorell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Dorell is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Dorell 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 Dorell family

The surname Dorell 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.

"The descendants of this Norman knight established themselves over various counties, and for centuries flourished in all: the principal were those of Calehill and Scotney, in Kent; of Sesay, in Yorkshire; of Littlecote, in Wiltshire; of Pageham, in Sussex; of Trewornan, in Cornwall; of Lillingston Dayrell, Bucks; and of Shudy Camps, in Cambridgeshire. A curious trial is on record with reference to the Littlecote branch. Its chief was arraigned for the murder of an infant child, on the evidence of the midwife, who detailed, with most circumstantial minuteness; her journey, blindfolded, to a residence which she supposed to be the ancient manor-house of Littlecote, her presence at the birth of a male child, and her belief, founded on many circumstances she narrated, that the infant was burnt to death. On cross-examination, however, her evidence broke down, and Dayrell was acquitted." 2

"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." 3

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." 4

The Curia Regis Rolls of Yorkshire included a listing for Thomas de Arel in 1166 and later the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire listed Marmaduc Darel in 1182. Early Manx records listed Ralph Darel(l), Dairel(l) there in 1204-1205 and Henry de Ayrel or Dayrel was found in the Feet of Fines for Berkshire in 1235. 5

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Henry Dayrel, Buckinghamshire; Ralph Dayrel, Buckinghamshire; and Isabella Darel, Yorkshire. 6

Early History of the Dorell family

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

Dorell Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Darrell, Dorrell, Dayrell, Darrel, Darell, Darel and others.

Early Notables of the Dorell family

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

Dorell migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Dorell or a variant listed above:

Dorell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Miles Dorell, who arrived in Maryland in 1649 7

Dorell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

F Dorell, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 7

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)
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)