Ottwell is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. Ottwell is a name that comes from the Norman given name of Ottiwell.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ottwell research. Another 126 words (9 lines of text) covering the year 1120 is included under the topic Early Ottwell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Loading...
Ottwell Spelling Variations
Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Ottiwell, Ottewell, Ottawell, Ottowell, Ottiwill, Ottwell and many more.
Loading...
Early Notables of the Ottwell family
More information is included under the topic Early Ottwell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Loading...
Migration of the Ottwell family
For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Ottwell or a variant listed above were: Thomas Ottawell who arrived in Virginia in 1623; Thomas Ottowell, who came to Virginia in 1624; George Ottawell, who settled in Maryland in 1754; and Bridget Otwell, who settled in New York State in 1853..
England
