Show ContentsFisel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Fisel

What does the name Fisel mean?

The name Fisel came to England with the ancestors of the Fisel family in the Norman Conquest in 1066. The surname Fisel is for a calf-heard which was in turn derived from the Old French word veel, meaning calf.

Early Origins of the Fisel family

The surname Fisel was first found in Gloucestershire where two knights by the name De Vile were honored in the Honour Roll of Battle Abbey in 1066 and were granted lands in that shire.

In later years, to the far south in Cornwall another branch of the family was found. "Trevayler, in [the parish of Gulval], is the property and residence of the Rev. William Veale, in whose family it has long been vested. This gentleman has considerable property in Gulval." 1

Early History of the Fisel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fisel research. Another 58 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fisel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fisel Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Veale, Veal, Viall, Vile, Viell and others.

Early Notables of the Fisel family

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

Migration of the Fisel family to Ireland

Some of the Fisel family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Fisel migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Fisel or a variant listed above were:

Fisel Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Adam Fisel, who arrived in New York in 1709 2
  • Johann Martin Fisel, who landed in America in 1782 2


  1. Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
  2. 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)


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