Rokewell is an ancient Norman name that arrived in
England after the
Norman Conquest of 1066. The Rokewell 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]CITATION[CLOSE]
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York, Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Early Origins of the Rokewell family
The surname Rokewell was first found in either
Buckinghamshire or
Somerset where this surname was originally a habitation surname.
[2]CITATION[CLOSE]
Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8) 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 Rokewell family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rokewell research.
Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1300 and 1324 are included under the topic Early Rokewell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Rokewell Spelling Variations
Endless
spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Rockwell, Rokelle, Rockewell, Rokele, Rokewell and others.
Early Notables of the Rokewell family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Rokewell Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Rokewell family to the New World and Oceana
To escape the political and religious persecution within
England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Rokewell or a variant listed above: 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.
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Citations
- ^ 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)