The ancestors of the Merill family migrated to
England following the
Norman Conquest of 1066. The surname Merill is based on the
personal name Muriel, which is composed of the Celtic elements
muir, which means
sea, and
gael, which means
bright. This personal name was extremely common during the Middle Ages in Continental Europe. It was introduced to
England by the
Breton settlers who accompanied Norman the Conqueror. In Northern
England, the name was also imported by the Norsemen from
Ireland and in Western
England the name developed as a result of
Welsh influence.
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)Early Origins of the Merill family
The surname Merill was first found in
Lancashire where one of the first records of the name was Ougrim
filius Miriel who was listed there in the
Pipe Rolls of 1188. A few years later, Mirielis, Muriella de Stokes was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of
Buckinghamshire in 1203 and later Johannes filius Miriald was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of
Yorkshire in 1208. Continuing in
Lancashire, Godric Miriild, Mirild, Mirield was listed in the
Pipe Rolls (1184-1188) and Robert, Richard Muriel was listed in the
Pipe Rolls of 1195. By this time some of the family was found in
Suffolk where John Myrel was listed in the
Subsidy Rolls in 1327, Richard Meryel and Walter Merel was listed in the
Subsidy Rolls of 1381.
[2]CITATION[CLOSE]
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X) The
Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list: Matilda Miriel in Cambridgeshire; Henry filius Mirield in Lincolnshire; Robert filius Muriel in Huntingdonshire; Thomas filius Muriel in Shropshire; and Richard Miriel in
Norfolk.
[3]CITATION[CLOSE]
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Early History of the Merill family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Merill research.
Another 135 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 135 and 1350 are included under the topic Early Merill History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Merill 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 Merill include Merrill, Meyrill, Merell, Merells, Meyrell and many more.
Early Notables of the Merill family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Merill Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Merill family to the New World and Oceana
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 Merills to arrive on North American shores: John Merrill, who settled in Boston Mass in 1630; Peirce Merrill settled in Virginia in 1655; John Merrill settled in Barbados in 1663; Moses Merrill settled in Boston in 1822..
Contemporary Notables of the name Merill (post 1700)
- C. H. Sayre Merill, American politician, Delegate to New Hampshire State Constitutional Convention from Exeter, 1956 [4]CITATION[CLOSE]
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html