Show ContentsKevell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Kevell reached England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Kevell family lived in the place named Keevil in the county of Wiltshire. [1] The name was originally spelled Chivele in the Domesday Book and claim descent from the Normans. According to the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae, Hais, Peter, Robert Cauvel were of Normandy, 1198; and William, Ranulph, and Gohier Caval were there 1180-1195. [2]

The territory of Chivele in ancient England including two mills, was granted to Anulf de Hesdine, who was a Norman Baron originally from Pas de Calais, in the canton of Hesdin. Hesdine was a tenant-in- chief in Keevil. [3]

Early Origins of the Kevell family

The surname Kevell was first found in Hampshire where Keevil, Keevill, Kevill, Kivill all descend from Hugh de Chiuilli c.1110 in Winton. Later in Dorset, William de Keuill was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1203 and Elias de Kivili was found in the Curia Regis Rolls for Kent in 1205. [1]

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included an entry for John Kewel in Oxfordshire [4] and in Somerset, William de Kiwell was registered there, 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign.) [5]

Early History of the Kevell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kevell research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1580, 1620, 1751 and 1969 are included under the topic Early Kevell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kevell Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Kevell include Keevill, Keville, Kevell and others.

Early Notables of the Kevell family

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

Ireland Migration of the Kevell family to Ireland

Some of the Kevell family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Kevell migration to the United States +

In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Kevells to arrive on North American shores:

Kevell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Catherine Kevell, who landed in Virginia in 1702 [6]
  • Philip Kevell, aged 27, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 [6]
  • Philip Kevell, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  3. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
  6. 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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