Contents [hide]

Duffell History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Duffell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The history of the Duffell family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in either of the towns named Duffield in Derbyshire and in North Yorkshire. The surname Duffell belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Duffell family

The surname Duffell was first found in North Yorkshire at either North or South Duffield, villages and civil parishes in the Selby District. The place name dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Dufeld.

Alternatively, the name could have originated from Duffield, a village, beside the River Derwent, at its junction with the River Ecclesbourne in Derbyshire. This locale also dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Duvelle, but by the 12th century, the locale was known as Duffeld. The place name literally means "open land frequented by doves." 1

"In Domesday Book it is called Dunelle, and is described as having 'a church, a priest, and two mills;' it afterwards formed part of the demesne of Henry de Ferrers, who, in 1096, possessed a castle on an eminence north-west of the village, the site of which is now named Castle-Orchard." 2

Early History of the Duffell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Duffell research. Another 200 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1190, 1273, 1379, 1383 and 1678 are included under the topic Early Duffell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Duffell Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Duffell include Duffield, Duffeld, Duffell, Duffill, Duffitt and others.

Early Notables of the Duffell family

Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Duffell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Duffell family to Ireland

Some of the Duffell family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Duffell migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled 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 ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Duffell or a variant listed above:

Duffell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

James Duffell, who arrived in Virginia in 1650 3
Susan Duffell, who landed in Virginia in 1658 3

Duffell migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Duffell Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Charles Duffus U.E. (b. 1738) who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 he died in 1808 4
Mr. Cornelius Dugan U.E. who settled in Home District [York County], Ontario c. 1784 4

Duffell migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Duffell Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Duffell, who arrived in New South Wales, Australia sometime between 1825 and 1832
Miss Hannah Duffell who was convicted in Devon, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Edward" on 23rd April 1834, arriving in Tasmania, (Van Diemen's Land) 5
Joseph Duffell, aged 19, a smith, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Samuel Boddington" 6

Duffell migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Duffell Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Clara Duffell, (b. 1853), aged Infant, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Egmont" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 23rd December 1853 7
Mrs. Mary Duffell, (b. 1815), aged 38, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Egmont" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 23rd December 1853 7
Mr. Richard Duffell, (b. 1815), aged 38, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Egmont" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 23rd December 1853 7
Miss Sarah Duffell, (b. 1842), aged 11, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Egmont" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 23rd December 1853 7
Mr. Edward Duffell, (b. 1846), aged 7, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Egmont" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 23rd December 1853 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Duffell (post 1700) +

Charles Basil Royson Duffell (b. 1986), English cricketer
Lieutenant General Sir Peter Royson Duffell KCB CBE MC (b. 1939), Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong (1989-1992)
Peter Duffell, British film and television director and screenwriter

The Duffell Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Semper fidelis
Motto Translation: Always faithful.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th January 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/edward
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SAMUEL BODDINGTON 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849SamuelBoddington.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html