Rockell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Rockell

What does the name Rockell mean?

The ancestors of the Rockell family brought their name to England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They 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 Rockell family

The surname Rockell 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 Rockell family

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

Rockell Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Rockell were recorded, including Rockwell, Rokelle, Rockewell, Rokele, Rokewell and others.

Early Notables of the Rockell family

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

Migration of the Rockell family

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Rockell arrived in North America very early: William, Susannah, Ruth and John Rockwell settled in Nantasket in 1630; Thomas Rockwell settled in Virginia in 1637 along with Mary; Edward Rockwell arrived in San Francisco in 1850.

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)