Show ContentsRickel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Rickel family

The surname Rickel was first found in Suffolk where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 1 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Bury, held by a Norman noble who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086.

Early History of the Rickel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rickel research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1071, 1150 and 1208 are included under the topic Early Rickel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rickel Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Richoll, Richell, Rickles, Richells, Ricold, Riccold, Ricolles and many more.

Early Notables of the Rickel family

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

Rickel Ranking

In the United States, the name Rickel is the 17,588th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2


United States Rickel migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Rickel Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Georg Rickel, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1749 3
  • Georg Michael Rickel, who landed in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1757 3
Rickel Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Miss Angelica Rickel, aged 23, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Neptune"
  • Maria Rickel, aged 20, who settled in America, in 1893
  • Ernst Rickel, aged 23, who landed in America, in 1893
  • Frieda Rickel, aged 15, who settled in America, in 1894
  • Archie Rickel, aged 26, who immigrated to the United States, in 1894
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Rickel Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Mrs. W. Rickel, who landed in America, in 1904
  • W. Rickel, who immigrated to America, in 1904
  • Martha Rickel, aged 70, who immigrated to the United States, in 1910
  • Henry Rickel, aged 55, who immigrated to the United States, in 1910

Contemporary Notables of the name Rickel (post 1700) +

  • Bob Rickel, American co-founder of Rickel Supermarts and Rickel Home Centers, a home improvement and grocery store chain based in northern New Jersey in 1953


  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. 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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