Kevill History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Kevill came to England with the ancestors of the Kevill family in the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Kevill 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 Kevill family

The surname Kevill 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 Kevill family

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

Kevill Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Kevill are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Kevill include Keevill, Keville, Kevell and others.

Early Notables of the Kevill family

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

Migration of the Kevill family to Ireland

Some of the Kevill 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.

Kevill migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Kevill Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Michael Kevill, British Convict who was convicted in Devon, England for life, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 27th October 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
Mr. Matthew Kevill, English convict who was convicted in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 24th March 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7

Kevill migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Kevill Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Bridget Kevill, aged 18, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ballochmyle" in 1874

Contemporary Notables of the name Kevill (post 1700) +

Dennis N Kevill, American professor of Chemistry at the University of Nebraska

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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.
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant