Viele History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Viele reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Viele family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest in 1066. Viele is a name for a calf-heard which was in turn derived from the Old French word veel, meaning calf.

Early Origins of the Viele family

The surname Viele was first found in Gloucestershire where two knights by the name De Vile were honored in the Honour Roll of Battle Abbey in 1066 and were granted lands in that shire.

In later years, to the far south in Cornwall another branch of the family was found. "Trevayler, in [the parish of Gulval], is the property and residence of the Rev. William Veale, in whose family it has long been vested. This gentleman has considerable property in Gulval." 1

Early History of the Viele family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Viele research. Another 58 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Viele History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Viele Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Veale, Veal, Viall, Vile, Viell and others.

Early Notables of the Viele family

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

Migration of the Viele family to Ireland

Some of the Viele family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Viele migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Viele or a variant listed above:

Viele Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Cornelis Cornelise Viele, who landed in New Netherland(s) in 1620-1664 2
Pieter Cornelisse Viele, who landed in New York in 1656 2
Arnout Cornelisse Viele, who arrived in New York in 1657 2

Viele Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

M Viele, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Viele (post 1700) +

Stephen L. Viele, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Washington County, 1836 3
Lodewecus S. Viele, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Washington County, 1846 3
John L. Viele, American politician, Member of New York State Senate, 1821-22, 1826-29 3
John J. Viele, American Republican politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Rensselaer County, 1836; Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1856 (speaker) 3
Egbert Ludovicus Viele (1825-1902), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Representative from New York 13th District, 1885-87; Defeated, 1886 3
Abraham L. Viele, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Rensselaer County, 1811-12 3

Citations +

Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html