Rockall History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Rockall

What does the name Rockall mean?

The name Rockall was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Rockall family lived in either of two locations, one in Buckinghamshire, and one in Somerset. The places were originally called Rockholt, from the elements hroc, meaning rock, and holt meaning wood. However, another source claims the name was derived from a "dweller at, or near, the stony spring or stream." 1

Early Origins of the Rockall family

The surname Rockall was first found in either Buckinghamshire or Somerset where this surname was originally a habitation surname. 2 Today, Rockwell Green is a village near Wellington, in the Taunton Deane district of Somerset and Rockwell End is a hamlet in Buckinghamshire which has been used as a film location for two of the Midsomer Murders series.

Early History of the Rockall family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rockall research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1300 and 1324 are included under the topic Early Rockall History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rockall 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 Rockwell, Rokelle, Rockewell, Rokele, Rokewell and others.

Early Notables of the Rockall family

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

Rockall migration to Australia +

Rockall Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Henry Rockall, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Arab" on February 22, 1834, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 3

Sources +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Arab voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1834 with 230 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/arab/1834