Pels History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
England

The distinguished surname Pels emerged among the industrious people of Flanders, which was an important trading partner and political ally of Britain during the Middle Ages. As a result of the frequent commercial intercourse between the Flemish and English nations, many Flemish migrants settled in Britain. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. One of the most common classes of surname is the patronymic surname, which was usually derived from the first name of the person's father. Flemish surnames of this type are often characterized by the diminutive suffix -kin, which became very frequent in England during the 14th century. The surname Pels is derived from a pet form of the personal name Peter.

Early Origins of the Pels family

The surname Pels was first found in Lincolnshire where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the census rolls taken by the ancient Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Pels family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pels research. Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1608, 1611, 1634, 1654, 1658, 1662, 1669, 1685, 1698, 1777 and 1852 are included under the topic Early Pels History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pels Spelling Variations

Flemish surnames are characterized by a large number of spelling variations. One reason for this is that medieval English lacked definite spelling rules. The spellings of surnames were also influenced by the official court languages, which were French and Latin. Names were rarely spelled consistently in medieval times. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to specific spelling rules, and people often had their names registered in several different forms throughout their lives. One of the greatest reasons for change is the linguistic uniqueness of the Flemish settlers in England, who spoke a language closely related to Dutch. The pronunciation and spelling of Flemish names were often altered to suit the tastes of English-speaking people. In many cases, the first, final, or middle syllables of surnames were eliminated. The name has been spelled Pell, Pelle, Pel, Pels, Pells, Pelles and others.

Early Notables of the Pels family

Prominent in the family at this time was Sir John Henry Pelly, 1st Baronet Pelly (1777-1852) Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), for three decades, Governor of the Bank of England. William Pell (1634-1698), was an English nonconformist minister, ejected in 1662 and John Pell (1611-1685) was an English mathematician from Southwick in Sussex. From 1654 to 1658 Pell...
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pels Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pels migration to the United States +

In the immigration and passenger lists a number of early immigrants bearing the name Pels were found:

Pels Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Evert Pels and his wife and servant settled in New York State in 1642
Breektje Elswaerts Pels, who settled in New Netherland in 1642
Evert Pels, who settled in America in 1642
Evert Pels, who landed in New York, NY in 1642 1

Pels Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Edward Pels, who arrived in South Carolina in 1859
Eduard Pels, who settled in New York, NY in 1860
Jette Pels, who arrived in Baltimore sometime between 1860 and 1865
Jette Koopman Pels, who settled in Baltimore sometime between 1860 and 1865
Martin P. Pels, who settled in Colorado in 1889
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Pels migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Pels Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Konrad Pels, who settled in Newfoundland in 1780 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Pels (post 1700) +

Jessica Pels (b. 1986), American editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine
Gerrit Pels (1893-1966), Dutch astronomer, a lifelong member of the scientific staff of the Leiden Observatory, eponym of 1667 Pels, a main-belt asteroid
Gerhard Christiaan Coenraad Pels (1810-1889), officer of the Dutch Navy

Citations +

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)
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0