Whorrel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Anglo-Saxon name Whorrel comes from when the family resided in Worral, a place in the West Riding of Yorkshire. 1 2 The place-name Worral is composed of the Old English elements wir, which means "myrtle" and halh, which means "nook or corner of land." The place-name translates as "nook of land where bog-myrtle grows." 3

Alternatively the name could have originated at Wirral, in Cheshire. 4

Early Origins of the Whorrel family

The surname Whorrel was first found in the West Riding of Yorkshire, at Worrall, a small rural village and parish which dates back to at least the Domesday Book where it was listed as Wihale, part of the lands held by Roger de Busli. By 1218, some records show the village's name as Wirhal. 3 Today it is within the boundaries of the City of Sheffield and has a population of about 1,306 as of 2006. At one time, Knotty-Ash House in Lancashire was the property of the Worrall family. 5

One of the first records of the family was Roger de Wyrhal, who was listed in the Assize Rolls for Yorkshire in 1219. Records in Sheffield, South Yorkshire list Richard de Wyrall in 1351 and William Worrall in 1517. 6

Early History of the Whorrel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Whorrel research. Another 195 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1388, 1586, 1590, 1614, 1630, 1664, 1705 and 1797 are included under the topic Early Whorrel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Whorrel Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Whorrel has been recorded under many different variations, including Worrall, Worral, Worrell, Worrel, Worrill, Worril and others.

Early Notables of the Whorrel family

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

Migration of the Whorrel family to Ireland

Some of the Whorrel 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.

Migration of the Whorrel family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Whorrel or a variant listed above: Peter and Mary Worral settled in Pennsylvania in 1687; Martha Worrall settled in Philadelphia in 1682; Richard Worrall settled in Pennsylvania in 1699.

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)