Kell Coat of Arms, Family Crest and Kell Family History

Kell Family History

The family history of the ancient name Kell was found in the irishsurnames.com archives.

Surnames developed a wide number of variants over the centuries. Many different spelling variations of the same name can be traced back to a single original root. Also, when a bearer of a name emigrated from Ireland it was not uncommon that their original name would be incorrectly transcribed in the record books upon arrival at their new location. Some names have dozens of spelling variations. Some Surnames were also altered over the years based on how they sounded phonetically, by their sound, and depending on the prevailing political conditions it may have been advantageous to change a name from one language to another. This was especially so in Ireland where most Gaelic names were 'anglicized' at some stage.

Variants of the name Kell include Kel, Kells, Keld and Kelle. This is a locality name meaning 'at the keld'. A keld was a smooth reach of water in a rough stream. This name is often of English descent and is found in many ancient manuscripts in that country. Examples of such are a Willelmus Keld and a Johannes Keld who were recorded in the 'Poll Tax' of the West Riding of Yorkshire in the year 1379. A Lancelot Kell and Jane Wilsby were recorded as having been married at St. Dionis Backchurch, London, in the year 1739. Names were recorded in these ancient documents to make it easier for their overlords to collect taxes and to keep records of the population at any given time. When the overlords acquired lands by either force or gifts from their rulers, they created charters of ownership for themselves and their vassals. In Ireland the names Kell and Kells are derived from the old Norse word 'ketill' meaning 'cauldron' and are found mostly in Counties Cavan, Monaghan and Antrim.The Kell family crest (or coat of arms) came into existence many centuries ago. The process of creating these coats of arms began as early as the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this, including Ireland. The new more formalized art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own family crest, coat of arms, including Kell descendants.