Revill History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Revill was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Revill family lived in Warwickshire. Their name, however, is a reference to Reville, near Bernai, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. 1

The name is derived from the Old French word "revel" which means "pride, rebellion, sport", from the word "reveler" which means "to rebel." Interestingly, there is a font-name named "Revel" which was common in Old French and Middle English records which may actually be from the Latin word "rebellus."

Early Origins of the Revill family

The surname Revill was first found in Hertford and Northamptonshire where Robert Revel held two estates as early as 1130. A few years later Richard Revel was listed as holding two fees in barony in Somerset in 1165. Henry Revel was one of the nobles taken at Alnwick Castle, Northumberland in 1174. 2

Sir Richard Revell or Rivell (died 1222) was an English knight and landowner, said to have been the son of William Revell, probably a landowner in Devonshire and lord of Revelstoke in that county. He received from Henry II grants of 'Curi' or Curry Rivell, and Langport, both in Somerset, and is said to have built a castle at Langport. He appears to have had a son named Richard, who probably predeceased his father. 3

Early History of the Revill family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Revill research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1305 and 1544 are included under the topic Early Revill History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Revill Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Revel, Revell, Revill, Reville and others.

Early Notables of the Revill family

More information is included under the topic Early Revill Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Revill family to Ireland

Some of the Revill family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 102 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Revill migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Revill Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Edward Revill, (Revell), (b. 1769), aged 60, English shoe maker who was convicted in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England for life for attempted murder, transported aboard the "Bussorah Merchant" on 1st October 1829, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1836 4
Mr. Charles Revill, English convict who was convicted in West Riding, Yorkshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Exmouth" on 3rd March 1831, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1845 5
Mr. John Revill, English convict who was convicted in Clerkenwell, London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the ""Blenheim"" on 24th July 1850, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) and Norfolk Island, Australia 6

Revill migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Revill Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Revill, British settler travelling from London, UK aboard the ship "British Queen" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 30th August 1859 7
Mrs. Revill, British settler travelling from London, UK aboard the ship "British Queen" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 30th August 1859 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Revill (post 1700) +

James "Jimmy" W. Revill (1882-1917), English footballer for Sheffield United who was killed in World War I
Alan Chambers Revill (1923-1998), English cricketer who played for Derbyshire between 1946 and 1957 and for Leicestershire from 1958 to 1960
Thomas "Tom" Frederick Revill (1892-1979), English cricketer and footballer
Clive Selsby Revill (b. 1930), New Zealand-born character actor best known for his performances in musical theatre on the London stage
Lance Revill (b. 1953), New Zealand bronze medalist boxer at 1974 Commonwealth Games, president of the New Zealand Professional Boxing Association (NZPBA)

Citations +

Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bussorah-merchant
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/exmouth
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blenheim
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html