Firnivall History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Firnivall

What does the name Firnivall mean?

The name Firnivall was carried to England in the enormous movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Firnivall family lived in Lincolnshire. Their name, however, is not a reference to this area, but to their place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Fourneville in Calvados, Normandy.

Early Origins of the Firnivall family

The surname Firnivall was first found in Lincolnshire where "the best authorities state that the first of this name, known in England, was Girard de Furnival, who came over from Normandy, temp. Richard I., and accompanied the crusade to the Holy Land. It is impossible to reconcile this fact with the entry on the Battle Roll. " 1

Early History of the Firnivall family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Firnivall research. Another 99 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1250 is included under the topic Early Firnivall History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Firnivall 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 Furnival, Furnivall, Furniwal, Furniwall and many more.

Early Notables of the Firnivall family

More information is included under the topic Early Firnivall Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Firnivall family

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 Firnivall or a variant listed above: Richard Furnwall and Samuel Furnwall arrived in Philadelphia in 1876.