Purtell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
England

Etymology of Purtell

What does the name Purtell mean?

Although the Irish had their own system of hereditary surnames and the Strongbow settlers brought with them their own Anglo-Norman naming practices, the two traditions generally worked well together. The name Purtell is an occupational surname, a form of hereditary name that existed in both cultures long before the invaders arrived, but more common to the Anglo-Norman culture. Occupational surnames were derived from a word describing the actual job done by the original name bearer. Early Strongbownian names of this type often used the prefix le, meaning the, in French, but the use of this prefix did not last in the language of the vernacular. The surname Purtell came from a common occupational name for a swineherd. The surname Purtell is derived from the Norman-French word porcel, which in turn comes from the Latin word porcus, which means pig or piglet. Occupational names such as Purtell frequently were derived from the principal object associated with the activity of the original bearer, such as tools or products. These types of occupational surnames are called metonymic surnames. The Gaelic form of the surname Purtell is Puirséil.

Early Origins of the Purtell family

The surname Purtell was first found in Surrey, England and later in County Tipperary, Ireland. As many Norman families, they accompanied Strongbow in the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland in 1172. The English branch in Surrey continued their stronghold in Surrey for many years. As far as the Irish branch is concerned, it is generally believed that Sir Hugh Purcell, a Strongbow knight was the progenitor of the family in Ireland. His grandson, another Sir Hugh married Beatrix, daughter of Theobald FitzWalter, Chief Butler of Ireland about 1204 and received Loghmoe (Loughmore,) a village in North Tipperary as a wedding present. 1 A direct line of the family continued until 1722 with the death of Nicholas Purcell, 13th Baron of Loughmoe.

Early History of the Purtell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Purtell research. Another 93 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1651, 1659, 1660, 1664, 1665, 1691, 1695 and 1717 are included under the topic Early Purtell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Purtell Spelling Variations

Church officials and medieval scribes often spelled early surnames as they sounded. This practice often resulted in many spelling variations of even a single name. Early versions of the name Purtell included: Purcell, Purcel, Pursell, Purcill, Purcells, Percell, Porcell, Percill, Persell, Percel, Pirsell, Porcill, Porsell, Purcelle, Purcele, Persells, Pursells, Purcels, Porcells, Purchell, Purscel, Purtill and many more.

Early Notables of the Purtell family

Notable amongst the family up to this time was John Purcell (died 1665), Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1660 to 1665; Henry Purcell (1659-1695), generally considered England's greatest composer of the Baroque era; his younger brother Daniel Purcell (1664-1717) was...
Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Purtell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Purtell Ranking

In the United States, the name Purtell is the 12,154^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Purtell migration to the United States +

The Irish emigration during the late 18th and 19th century contributed to the melting pot of nationalities in North America, and the building of a whole new era of industry and commerce in what was seen as a rich, new land. Ireland'sGreat Potato Famine resulted in the worst economic and social conditions in the island's history. And in response to the hunger, disease, and poverty, during this decade the total number of emigrants to leave for North America rivaled all the previous years combined. Those from this decade that arrived on North American shores were not warmly welcomed by the established population, but they were vital to the rapid development of the industry, agriculture, and infrastructure of the infant nations of the United States and what would become Canada. Research into early immigration and passenger lists has shown many people bearing the name Purtell:

Purtell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Mary Purtell, who arrived in Virginia in 1703 3

Purtell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Purtell, aged 21, originally from Co. Clare, Ireland, who arrived in New York in 1893 aboard the ship "Servia" from Liverpool, England 4
Will Purtell, aged 25, originally from Ballinagool, Ireland, who arrived in New York in 1897 aboard the ship "Umbria" from Queenstown, Ireland 4

Purtell Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

John Purtell, aged 41, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Espagne" from Le Havre, France 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Purtell (post 1700) +

Regina Purtell (1866-1950), American Roman Catholic sister and United States Army nurse who cared for Theodore Roosevelt's "Rough Riders", dubbed "The Florence Nightingale of the Spanish-American War"
William Arthur Purtell (1897-1978), American Republican politician, Served in the U.S. Army during World War I; Inventor; Business executive; Candidate for Governor of Connecticut, 1950; U.S. Senator from Connecticut, 1952, 1953-59; Appointed 1952; Defeated, 1958; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Connecticut, 1956
Thomas M. Purtell, American Republican politician, Wisconsin State Treasurer, 1904-05
Martin T. Purtell, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1936; Chair of Chemung County Democratic Party, 1936-41
Thomas M. Purtell, American politician from Wisconsin
L. Mark Purtell (b. 1891), long-time minor league baseball player and manager
William Arthur Purtell (1897-1978), American businessman and politician
William Patrick "Billy" Purtell (1886-1962), American baseball third baseman
Adrian Purtell (b. 1985), Australian rugby league footballer

The Purtell Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Aut vincam aut periam
Motto Translation: Either conquer or perish.

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result