Show ContentsRenalls History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Today's generation of the Renalls family bears a name that was brought to England by the wave of emigration that was started by the Norman Conquest of 1066. It comes from the Norman given name Reginald or Regenweald, meaning brave councilor, which is an alteration of the Old French name Reinold. "Several tenants in chief in Domesday [Book] are called Rainaldus. Reynell, Reynard, Reynardson, Rennal." [1]

"Its area of distribution is confined, for the most part, to the central part of England extending to the eastern counties between the Wash and the Thames. It is rare or absent in the south coast counties, excluding Cornwall, and excepting a scanty representation in Lancashire it does not occur north of a line drawn from the Humber to the Mersey. Shropshire, Norfolk, Wilts, and Cornwall are its principal homes." [2]

Early Origins of the Renalls family

The surname Renalls was first found in Somerset where they were granted lands by William the Conqueror after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Early records of the name mention Willemus filius Raunaldi who was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086. Walter Reynolds (died 1327) was Bishop of Worcester, Archbishop of Canterbury (1313-1327), Lord High Treasurer and Lord Chancellor. [3]

"The manor of Trebartha [in Cornwall] is said to have belonged to Walter Reynell, a knight of Gascony, so early as the reign of Richard I. at which time he was Castellan of Launceston." [4]

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed John Reynold, Cambridgeshire; Roger filius Reynald, Oxfordshire; and William filius Reynaud, Cambridgeshire. And the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Rainaldus filius Willelmi; and Ricardus Raynoldson. [5]

Early History of the Renalls family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Renalls research. Another 137 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1191, 1194, 1198, 1313, 1327, 1544, 1549, 1588, 1589, 1594, 1599, 1607, 1612, 1624, 1625, 1636, 1655, 1657, 1663, 1676 and 1690 are included under the topic Early Renalls History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Renalls Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Renalls have been found, including Reynell, Reynolds, Reynold, Reynalds, Reynell, Renaud, Renaut, Renouf, Rennard, Renals, Rennell, Rennels and many more.

Early Notables of the Renalls family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Walter Reynolds (d. 1327) the son of a Windsor baker, who became a favorite of King Edward II, Archbishop of Canterbury (1313-1327); John Reynolds (c. 1588-c. 1655), an English merchant and writer from Exeter, produced a series of violent stories around marriage, adultery and murder as well as some political writings that caused him to be imprisoned.John Reynolds or Rainolds (1549-1607), was English president of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, and dean of Lincoln, born at Pinhoe, near Exeter. William Reinolds (c. 1544-1594), was an English Roman Catholic divine, second son of Richard Rainolds...
Another 152 words (11 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Renalls Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Renalls family to Ireland

Some of the Renalls family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Renalls migration to the United States +

For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Renalls were among those contributors:

Renalls Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Thomas Renalls, who landed in Maryland in 1662 [6]


The Renalls 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: Jus meum tuebor
Motto Translation: I will defend my right.


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
  5. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  6. 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)


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