Bell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland/England
England
France
Ireland
Scotland

Etymology of Bell

What does the name Bell mean?

The Bell surname arose independently from several different sources. In some instances, it comes from the Old English word "belle" meaning "bell," and was most likely an occupational name for a bell ringer. It may have also been a name for someone who lived near a bell. Bell is also known to have arisen from the English and Scottish given name Bel, which derived from the Old French "beu" or "bel," meaning "handsome." 1

"From Le Bel, a surname which frequently occurs in Normandy." 2

Early Origins of the Bell family

The surname Bell was first found in Dumfriesshire. "John Bell appears as a notary in St. Andrews, 1248. A family of the name appears to have been hereditarily connected with the church of Dunkeld. Master David Bell was a canon there, 1263, and William Bell appears as dean, 1329-42. William Bel, vicar of Lamberton, witnessed a charter to Coldingham Priory, 1271." 3

At one time, the Clan Bell was well known on the Scottish West March of the Scottish and English borders. But in 1587, the Parliament of Scotland passed a statute: "For the quieting and keping in obiedince of the disorderit subjectis inhabitantis of the borders hielands and Ilis." This statute disolved the Clan status. 4

Early references to the name in England include Ailuuardus filius Bell listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 in Suffolk; Hugo Bel who was in Winton, Hampshire in 1148; Serlo Belle listed in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1190; as well as Roger del Bel, who was in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk of 1209. 5

Robert le Bell was Mayor of Bristol in 1239. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had many entries for the name typically with the Old French spelling: Nicholas filius Bele in Bedfordshire; Ralph le Bele in Cambridgeshire; and Hugh le Bel, in Oxfordshire; Thomas le Bel in Suffolk. 6

Early History of the Bell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bell research. Another 268 words (19 lines of text) covering the years 1069, 1340, 1350, 1463, 1528, 1562, 1577, 1587, 1590, 1603, 1607, 1618, 1640, 1647, 1648, 1668, 1711, 1890 and 1896 are included under the topic Early Bell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bell Spelling Variations

The name, Bell, occurred in many references, and from time to time, it was spelt Bell, Belle and others.

Early Notables of the Bell family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was

The Blessed Arthur Bell (1590-1618), also known as Francis Bell, who was a Franciscan and English martyr
Sir Robert Bell (d. 1577) of Beaupre Hall, Norfolk, Speaker of the House of Commons
William Bell (died ca. 1668), an English apothecary and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1648
Sir Edmond Bell Of Castle Acre and Beaupre Hall, Norfolk (1562-1607), Justice of the Peace, Norfolk

Bell World Ranking

In the United States, the name Bell is the 58^th most popular surname with an estimated 290,979 people with that name. 7 However, in Canada, the name Bell is ranked the 78^th most popular surname with an estimated 31,373 people with that name. 8 And in Australia, the name Bell is the 41^st popular surname with an estimated 42,630 people with that name. 9 New Zealand ranks Bell as 58^th with 5,090 people. 10 The United Kingdom ranks Bell as 48^th with 83,942 people. 11 South Africa ranks Bell as 920^th with 7,585 people. 12

Migration of the Bell family to Ireland

Some of the Bell family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 83 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bell migration to the United States +

The New World beckoned settlers from the Scottish-English borders. They sailed aboard the armada of sailing ships known as the "White Sails" which plied the stormy Atlantic. Some called them, less romantically, the "coffin ships." Among the early settlers bearing the Bell surname who came to North America were:

Bell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mr. John Bell, (b. 1605), aged 30, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Safety" arriving in Virginia in 1635 13
George Bell, who settled in Virginia in 1638
John Bell who settled in Virginia in 1638
Christian Bell, who landed in Virginia in 1650 14
Alexander Bell who settled in Virginia in 1654
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johann Frederich Bell, British settler who arrived in New York in 1709 with wife Anna Maria and 4 children
Anne Bell, who landed in Virginia in 1713 14
Chr Bell, who arrived in Virginia in 1714 14
Christopher Bell, who arrived in Virginia in 1716
Aaron Bell, who arrived in New England in 1719 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Agnus Bell, who settled in Philadelphia in 1802
Abraham Bell, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 14
Anna Bell, aged 5, who arrived in Key West, Fla in 1838 14
D Bell, aged 24, who landed in Key West, Fla in 1838 14
Mr. Thomas Bell, aged 26, British weaver who arrived in New York aboard the ship "North America" on 12th October 1840
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bell migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bell Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Ann Bell, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
Elizabeth Bell, who settled in Nova Scotia in 1765
Robert Bell, who was a laborer in St. John's, Newfoundland, in 1779 15
Mr. Derick Bell U.E. who settled in Home District, [Niagara], Lincoln County, Ontario c. 1783 16
Mr. Duncan Bell U.E. who settled in Fredericksburgh, Cataraqui township, [Greater Napanee], Ontario c. 1783 16
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bell Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Andrew Bell, who landed in Canada in 1819
Agnes Bell, aged 55, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Pacific" from Liverpool, England
John Bell, aged 20, a tailor, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the schooner "Sarah" from Belfast, Ireland
Thomas Bell, aged 30, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Bartley" in 1833
James Bell, aged 30, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Neptune" in 1834
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bell migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Bell Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. George Bell, (Porter, William, Dalton), English waterman who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life for theft, transported aboard the "Earl Spencer" in May 1813, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1851 17
Mr. Henry Bell, English convict who was convicted in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" in May 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 18
Mr. John Bell, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" in May 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 18
Miss Ann Bell, (Eliza), (b. 1784), aged 33, Irish needle woman who was convicted in Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Canada" on 21st March 1817, arriving in New South Wales, Australia then transported on to Tasmania per "Elizabeth Henrietta" 19
Mr. Charles Bell, British Convict who was convicted in West Riding, Yorkshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 27th October 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 20
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bell migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Bell Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

George Bell, who landed in Island of Mana, New Zealand in 1832 aboard the ship Minerva
George Bell, who landed in Dundee, New Zealand in 1832
F Dillon Bell, who landed in Wellington & Nelson, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Ursula
H Gordon Bell, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Lady Lilford
James Bell, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bell migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 21

Bell Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Mr. James Bell, (b. 1616), aged 19, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Anne and Elizabeth" arriving in Barbados in 1635 22
Mr. Thomas Bell, (b. 1621), aged 14, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Matthew" arriving in St Christopher (Saint Kitts) in 1635 23
Alison Bell, who settled in Barbados in 1670
Robert Bell, who settled in Barbados in 1679

Contemporary Notables of the name Bell (post 1700) +

Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922), Scottish inventor of the telephone, born in Edinburgh, Scotland, emigrated to the United States in 1870, where he was a Professor of Physiology at Boston University, and exhibited his telephone invention in 1870
Gregory Curtis Bell (1930-2025), American track and field athlete who won the gold medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics
Virginia Bell (1927-1994), American pitcher and outfielder who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
Gordon Bell (1934-2024), born Chester Gordon Bell, an American electrical engineer and manager, designer of several of the DEC PDP machines and later served as the company's Vice President of Engineering from 1972-1983
Charles Wade Bell (1945-2024), American middle distance runner who competed at the 1968 Summer Olympics
Kristen Anne Bell (b. 1980), American Satellite, People's Choice Award winning actress, known for Frozen (2013), Veronica Mars (2014), Frozen II (2019), PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie (2023) and many more
Robert Holmes Bell (1944-2023), American jurist, Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan (2017-2023)
Thomas Randolph "Thom" Bell (1943-2022), Jamaican-born American record producer, arranger and songwriter known as one of the creators of Philadelphia soul in the 1970s, inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum
Luke Bell (1990-2022), American country musician and singer-songwriter, born in Lexington, Kentucky
Madison Smartt Bell (b. 1957), American novelist, known for his trilogy of novels about Toussaint Louverture and the Haitian Revolution, published 1995â€“2004
... (Another 373 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Bell family +

Empress of Ireland

Mr. Robert William Bell (d. 1914), British Deck Boy from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 24
Mr. Dan Bell (d. 1914), American Third Class Passenger from Detroit, Michigan, United States who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 25

Grover Shoe factory

Mr. Frank W. Bell, American employee of the Grover Shoe factory in Brockton, Massachusetts on 20th March 1905 when the boiler exploded and collapsed the wooden building; he died 26

Halifax Explosion

Mr. John Francis Bell (1854-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 27
Master Stanley Bell (1912-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 27
Mrs. Jessie Bell (1880-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 27
Master Gerald Francis Bell (1914-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 27
Mrs. Geraldine Bell (1890-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 27
... (Another 2 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hillsborough disaster

Simon Bell (1971-1989), English trainee who was attending the FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough Stadium, in Sheffield, Yorkshire when the stand allocated area became overcrowded and 96 people were crushed in what became known as the Hillsborough disaster and he died from his injuries 28

HMS Dorsetshire

Douglas Stewart Bell (d. 1945), British Stoker 1st Class aboard the HMS Dorsetshire when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking 29

HMS Hood

Mr. William Bell (b. 1917), Scottish Able Seaman serving for the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve from Edinburgh, Scotland, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 30
Mr. Cyril Kemp Bell (b. 1923), English Ordinary Signalman serving for the Royal Navy from Bardney, Lincolnshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 30

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Thomas William Bell (b. 1915), "Bill" English Able Bodied Seaman from England, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 31
Mr. Leonard Hammersley Bell, British Captain, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 31
Mr. Charles Bell, British Able Bodied Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 31

HMS Repulse

Mr. Walter Bell, British Able Bodied Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 32
Mr. James Bell, British Able Bodied Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 32

HMS Royal Oak

Robert William Bell (1900-1939), British Able Seaman with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 33
Ian Bell, British Signalman with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he survived the sinking 33

Mount Mulligan Mine

Irving Bell, British-born, Australian coal miner who was killed in the Mount Mulligan Mine explosion in 1921

North Sea Flood

T. Bell, British worker aboard the trawler "Sheldon" killed in the North Sea Flood, a major storm surge in 1953

Pan Am Flight 103 (Lockerbie)

Jean Mary Bell (1944-1988), English Passenger from Berkshire, England, who flew aboard the Pan Am Flight 103 from Frankfurt to Detroit, known as the Lockerbie bombing in 1988 and died 34

RMS Titanic

Mr. Joseph Bell (d. 1912), aged 50, English Chief Engineer from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 35

SS Atlantic

Alice Bell, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking

USS Arizona

Mr. Hershel Homer Bell, American Fire Controlman Second Class from Illinois, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 36
Mr. Richard Leroy Bell, American Seaman Second Class from California, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 36

USS Indianapolis

Maurice Glenn Bell (1925-2009), American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he survived the sinking 37

Citations +

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