Jekell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon name Jekell comes from the baptismal nameJukel or Gikel. The surname Jekell referred to the son of Jukel which belongs to the category of patronymic surnames.

"The ancient Breton name Judicaël gave birth to the twin-names Juhel and Gicquel, appearing in mediæval English records as Jukel and Gikel." 1

"The Christian name of Judhael de Totnes is still found as a surname in Devonshire as Jewell, and elsewhere as Jekyll and Joel." 2

"This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Jukel' or 'Gikel.' Although the personal name soon died out, the surname formed from it struggled into existence and still lives.' 3

As a forename, the first occurrence was found in the Chronicles of the Mayors and Sheriffs of London, 1188-1274 where Jukel Alderman was listed as Sheriff of London in 1194. 3

Early Origins of the Jekell family

The surname Jekell was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086 where the original Latin forms of the name were found in two entries in Cheshire: Judichel uenator and Judicaelis. 4

A few years later, Gykell, Jukel de Jertheburc was listed in Lincolnshire c.1170 and in 1182; Johannes filius Jokell', Jukell' was entered in the Assize Rolls for 1218; and Jukel Brito was in the Curia Regis Rolls for Norfolk in 1207. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had two early listings of the family: Johannes Jukel, Buckinghamshire; and Richard Gikell, Lincolnshire. 3

Dr. Henry Jekyll and his alter ego Mr. Edward Hyde, is the main character of Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella "Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde." However, Stevenson makes no mention of why he chose the protagonist's name.

Early History of the Jekell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jekell research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1174, 1201, 1273, 1570, 1646, 1653, 1663, 1670, 1680, 1687, 1697, 1698, 1702, 1717 and 1738 are included under the topic Early Jekell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jekell Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Jekell has appeared include Jeckell, Jeckel, Jekyl, Jekyll, Jeckyll, Jeckyl, Jekylls, Jekel and many more.

Early Notables of the Jekell family

Distinguished members of the family include Thomas Jekyll (1570-1653), English antiquary, born in the parish of St. Helen, Bishopsgate, London, on 12 Jan. 1570, the eldest son of John Stocker Jekyll of Newington, Middlesex, by Mary, daughter and heiress of Nicholas Barnehouse of Wellington, Somerset. "Availing himself of his access to legal records, Jekyll filled above forty volumes with valuable materials for the histories of Essex, Norfolk, and Suffolk (Gough, British Topography, i. 345). A portion of the Jekyll collection was included in the list of manuscripts belonging to John Ouseley, rector of...
Another 92 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Jekell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Jekell family

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Jekell arrived in North America very early: John Jeckyll, who sailed to New England in 1733; George Jekel to Philadelphia in 1844; Peter Jeckel to America in 1853; Thomas Jaekle to New York in 1861.

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
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)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)