| ![Show Contents]() Gornall History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England Early Origins of the Gornall familyThe surname Gornall was first found in Somerset where Ancell, Anselm de Gornay was listed in the Assize Rolls of 1269. 1 "We are told that there were two Hugh de Gournays at the battle of Hastings. The two Hughs received grants of lands in which county the name is still strong." 2 Another source provides more details and a pointer to their earlier origin: "This ancient race accompanied Rollo into Neustria and became lords of Gournay, whence their name. Gournai-en-Brai is a town in the arrondissement of Neufchatel. There were two Hugh de Gournays at the battle of Hastings, the father, an old man, leading on his vassals of Bray." 3 Here's another entry on the same topic: "This is a name of note in the history of the Conquest, and belonged to one of the first baronial families of Normandy. They occupied the frontier district called Pays de Brai, an essart of the ancient Forest of Lyons, and an important post in the defense of the Duchy, that had been allotted to their ancestor by Rollo himself, and bore the name Gournay, the head of their barony. They continued to hold this great fief till the time of King John, when it was seized by Philip Augustus. One remaining tower of their castle - "La Tour Hue" - was still standing at the beginning of the seventeenth century. This marvelous fortress is supposed to have been built by the father or grandfather of Hugh de Gournay who was one of the chief commanders at the victory of Montemar in 1054." 4 Early History of the Gornall familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gornall research. Another 161 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1487, 1510, 1541, 1600, 1617 and 1679 are included under the topic Early Gornall History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Gornall Spelling VariationsAnglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Gornay, Gornaye, Gurnay, Gurnard, Gorney, Gornal, Gornall, Gurnell, Garney, Garny, Garnie and many more. Early Notables of the Gornall familyMore information is included under the topic Early Gornall Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
 Gornall migration to the United States | + |
Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Gornall name or one of its variants:
Gornall Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Effie Gornall, aged 5, who landed in America from Wyke, England, in 1907
- Thomas Gornall, aged 21, who landed in America from St. Helens, England, in 1907
- Wm. P. Gornall, aged 41, who landed in America, in 1908
- Ellen Gornall, aged 2, who immigrated to the United States from Bradford, England, in 1908
- Clara Gornall, aged 28, who landed in America from Bradford, England, in 1908
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Contemporary Notables of the name Gornall (post 1700) | + |
- Captain James Parrington Gornall DSO (1899-1983), English cricketer, former Captain of HMS Orion (1941)
- 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)
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 2 of 3
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Gornall migration to the United States 
