Harel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

Early Origins of the Harel family

The surname Harel was first found in Northumberland where they held a family seat on the English/Scottish border. After the Norman Conquest of England many of Duke William's rebellious Barons moved north. The border became a convenient no-man's land. In the 16th century they became known as the 'unruly clans'.

The name Haurell or Harel is found several times in the Norman Exchequer Rolls of 1180-95 and subsequently appears enrolled among the nobility as Sires de Bretteville. 1

Cornwall hold an interesting entry about the family. Lord Borchard de Herle (1268-1305), was a medieval diplomat under the King Edward I. By the time he was 12, his father Lord Borin had died of typhoid fever leaving him to care for his mother and his younger brother. As soon as he turned 18, he abandoned his sick mother and took his father's money and left to go to college at University of Cambridge. His father's legacy of close connections to Edward I led to his early career. This Cornish branch claims descent from "the house of West Hearle in Northumberland." 2

"The manor of St. Day [in the parish of Gwennap, Cornwall] was at a very early period in severalties. The family of Hearle possess one third part, which they have long held." 3

"East Clusion [in the parish of lansallos, Cornwall] now belongs to John Hearle, Esq. of Tregony, in whose family it has been vested about a century." 3

In nearby Devon, "Sir William Herle, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, 1316, certainly lived at Chambercombe, near Ilfracombe, but his birth there is doubtful. " 4

Early History of the Harel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Harel research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1079, 1142, 1149, 1162, 1301, 1324, 1347, 1385, 1431, 1510, 1559, 1575, 1598, 1600, 1617, 1618, 1622, 1640, 1659, 1661, 1679, 1681 and 1695 are included under the topic Early Harel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Harel Spelling Variations

The name, Harel, occurred in many references, and from time to time, it was spelt Herle, Hearle, Herral, Harrell, Harle, Harel, Heral, Hurl, Hirl, Herrel and many more.

Early Notables of the Harel family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was William de Herle (d. 1347), was an English judge, son of Robert de Herle, was probably born in Leicestershire, since both his father and he in 1301 and 1324 respectively were summoned by the sheriffs of that county to perform military duty and to attend the great council at Westminster. His lands lay principally in Leicestershire, but through his wife Margaret, daughter and heir of William Polglas and of Elizabeth, heiress of Sir William Champernon, he came into possession of considerable estates in Devonshire. 5 Charles Herle (1598-1659), was a prominent...
Another 101 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Harel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Harel Ranking

In France, the name Harel is the 1,551^st most popular surname with an estimated 3,827 people with that name. 6

Harel migration to the United States +

The New World beckoned settlers from the Scottish-English borders. They sailed aboard the armada of sailing ships known as the "White Sails" which plied the stormy Atlantic. Some called them, less romantically, the "coffin ships." Among the early settlers bearing the Harel surname who came to North America were:

Harel Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Miss Harel, who arrived in Iowa in 1833 7

Harel Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Hermann Harel, aged 17, originally from Regelhurst, Germany, arrived in New York in 1907 aboard the ship "President Grant" from Hamburg, Germany 8
Pierre Harel, aged 34, originally from Rennes, France, arrived in New York City, New York in 1919 aboard the ship "La Touraine" from Le Havre, France 8
Gaston Harel, aged 59, arrived in New York City in 1919 aboard the ship "La Savoie" from Le Havre, France 8
Noel Harel, aged 16, arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Lafayette" from Le Havre, France 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Harel (post 1700) +

Yitzhak Harel (b. 1957), Israeli general in the Israeli Defense Force
Philippe Harel (b. 1956), French film director, actor and screenwriter
Louise Harel (b. 1946), Canadian politician, City Councillor for Maisonneuve–Longue-Pointe, Quebec (2009-2013)
Isser Harel (1912-2003), Israeli spymaster
Eden Harel (b. 1976), Israeli actress and TV host
David Harel (b. 1950), Israeli computer sciences professor
Dan Harel (b. 1955), Israeli general in the Israeli Defense Force, former Deputy Chief of the General Staff
Alon Harel (b. 1957), Israeli law professor
Idit Harel Caperton (b. 1957), Israeli psychologist and epistemologist

Citations +

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
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result