In ancient
Anglo-Saxon England, the ancestors of the Worel surname lived in Worral, a place in the West Riding of
Yorkshire. 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."
Early Origins of the Worel family
The surname Worel was first found in
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.
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4) 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.
[2]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Early History of the Worel family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Worel research.
Another 182 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 161 and 1614 are included under the topic Early Worel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Worel 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 Worel 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. The variations of the name Worel include: Worrall, Worral, Worrell, Worrel, Worrill, Worril and others.
Early Notables of the Worel family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Worel Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Worel family to Ireland
Some of the Worel family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 85 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Worel family to the New World and Oceana
Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Worel 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.