Zeal History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Zeal

What does the name Zeal mean?

The name of the Zeal family is derived from in the parish of Seal which had various locations in England including the counties of Northumberland, Leicester, Surrey and Kent.

However, the name could have originated from a variety of sources. It could be one who worked at the hall from the Old English word "sele," 1 or, perhaps, "dweller by the sallow copse" from the Old English "siele," or "sele." 2

Early Origins of the Zeal family

The surname Zeal was first found in Devon where Ralph de la Sele was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1168. Roger Sele was also listed in the Pipe Rolls for Norfolk in 1198. 2

"The Seals of the Derby district may hail originally from Seal, a Leicestershire parish close to the Derbyshire border." 3

Today Zeal could also be a Bengali Hindu Brahmin family name which literally means "the quality of being devoted."

Early History of the Zeal family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Zeal research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Zeal History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Zeal Spelling Variations

Since the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules, Breton surnames have many spelling variations. Latin and French, which were the official court languages, were also influential on the spelling of surnames. The spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules. Therefore, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England after the Norman Conquest, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. The name has been spelled Seal, Seale, Seel, Sealey, Sealy, Seally, Sealley and others.

Early Notables of the Zeal family

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

Migration of the Zeal family to Ireland

Some of the Zeal 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 Zeal family

Investigation of immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Zeal: William Seal settled in Boston in 1763; Henry Seale settled in Virginia in 1637; William Seal settled in Maryland in 1740; Charles, Joseph and Piper Seel all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1870..

Sources +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.