Show ContentsShirrell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Shirrell is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived in the parish of Cherhill, which was located three miles from Calne in the diocese of Salisbury and the county of Wiltshire. 1 The surname Shirrell belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Shirrell family

The surname Shirrell was first found in Wiltshire, at Cherhill which dates back to at least 1155 when it was known at that time as Ciriel. The parish is thought to have been derived from the Celtic words for "fertile land," with a Celtic river-name as the first element. 2

Early History of the Shirrell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shirrell research. Another 212 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1275, 1500 and 1788 are included under the topic Early Shirrell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shirrell Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Shirrell are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Shirrell include: Cherrill, Cheril, Cherril, Cherill, Churhille, Churhylle, Cherrall, Cherhill, Chirel, Cherrille, Keryle and many more.

Early Notables of the Shirrell family

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


Australia Shirrell migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Shirrell Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Joseph Shirrell, English convict who was convicted in Devon, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 13th March 1828, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant


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