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![Show Contents]() Rockwall History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
The name Rockwall reached England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Rockwall 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 Rockwall familyThe surname Rockwall 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 Rockwall familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rockwall research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1300 and 1324 are included under the topic Early Rockwall History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Rockwall Spelling VariationsBefore the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Rockwall family name include Rockwell, Rokelle, Rockewell, Rokele, Rokewell and others. Early Notables of the Rockwall familyMore information is included under the topic Early Rockwall Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Rockwall familyTo escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Rockwall family to immigrate North America: 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.
- 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)
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