| ![Show Contents]() Cambell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of CambellWhat does the name Cambell mean? The name Cambell was first used by a Strathclyde-Briton family from the Scottish/English Borderlands. It was a name for a person with a crooked mouth, or crooked smile. This nickname surname is derived from the Gaelic words cam and beul, meaning crooked and mouth. Nicknames could be derived from various sources. In general, they came from the physical characteristics, behavior, mannerisms and other attributes of the bearer. Cambell Coat of Arms CreationAccording to Scottish lore, the case of the Duke of Argyll, whose crest is a boar's head, goes back to the time of the Fenian heroes. The ancestor of the Argyll clan was then known as Diarmid. Unhappily Fionn's wife fell in love with Diarmid while he was one night at a feast in her husband's castle. Fionn found this out, and consulted a witch as to what he could do to get rid of Diarmid without offence. She told him that the Fianna had a wonderful boar on whose back was a poisoned bristle, and that if he could get Diarmid to measure it, the bristle would prick him and he would die. A few days after this Fionn, after some talk, wagered that the length of the boar was so many feet. Diarmid disagreed as to the length, set out to measure it, and returned proclaiming that he was right. Fionn was furious and asked him how he had measured it. He replied, " From snout to tail." " Ah !" said Fionn, " come and let me see you measure it from tail to snout." Diarmid went, and in measuring it in that direction-against the set of the bristles -the poisoned bristle pierced his foot, and soon thereafter he was dead. The boar's head was adopted by Diarmid's descendants as their crest, and has so remained ever since, with the motto, " Ne obliviscaris " (Lest thou forget). The badge is the myrtle. 1 Early Origins of the Cambell familyThe surname Cambell was first found in Argyllshire (Gaelic erra Ghaidheal), the region of western Scotland corresponding roughly with the ancient Kingdom of Dál Riata, in the Strathclyde region of Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Argyll and Bute. Researchers suggest a joint progenitor of both the Campbells and the MacArthurs. The MacArthurs were the ancient senior sept of the Campbells. Arthur derives from the son of King Aedan MacGabhran, the 9th century Scots King of Argyll. The Clan Campbell was known as the Siol Diarmaid an Tuirc or, alternatively, the Clan Duibhne, and in a Crown charter Duncan MacDuibhne was ancestor of the Lords of Lochow in 1368. Sir Colin Campbell, son of Sir Archibald, was succeeded by Sir Duncan in 1427. Sir Duncan's second son, Black Colin of Glenorchy founded the Campbells of Breadalbane. He built the castle of Caolchurn and married Margeret Stewart, heiress of the Lords of Lorn. After the Battle of Harlaw in 1411 in which the MacDonalds were badly defeated by the King, the Campbells, took advantage of the situation to acquire more territory from the MacDonalds. In 1517 the Campbells and the MacLeans of Duart were called upon by the Crown to again suppress the Lord of the Isles, MacDonald of Lochalsh, who had seized two Royal Castles. Lochalsh went to the scaffold and the Campbells acquired more land. Their Chiefs were bestowed with knighthoods, baronies and Earldoms. The Earl of Argyll becoming Chancellor of Scotland to James IV, and through his influence achieved a measure of peace throughout the Highlands. Early History of the Cambell familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cambell research. Another 244 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1437, 1607, 1609, 1610, 1629, 1630, 1636, 1661, 1662, 1663, 1668, 1685, 1696, 1699, 1701, 1717, 1757, 1764, 1792, 1824, 1878 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Cambell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Cambell Spelling VariationsIn the era before dictionaries, there were no rules governing the spelling or translation of names or any other words. Consequently, there are an enormous number of spelling variations in Medieval Scottish names. Cambell has appeared as Campbell, Cambell, Cambel, Camble, Cammell and many more. Early Notables of the Cambell familyNotable amongst the family at this time was - Further south in England, there were two baronetcies created for members of the Cambell family, both in Essex. The first was for Sir John Cambell, 1st Baronet of Woodford (died 1662.) He died without...
Cambell RankingIn the United States, the name Cambell is the 4,369th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 2 Migration of the Cambell family to IrelandSome of the Cambell family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 63 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Cambell migration to the United States | + |
The freedom, opportunity, and land of the North American colonies beckoned. There, Scots found a place where they were generally free from persecution and where they could go on to become important players in the birth of new nations. Some fought in the American War of Independence, while others went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these Scottish settlers have been able to recover their lost national heritage in the last century through highland games and Clan societies in North America. Among them:
Cambell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Thomas Cambell, who landed in Virginia in 1663 3
Cambell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- John Cambell, who arrived in Virginia in 1705 3
- Archibald Cambell, who landed in Virginia in 1713 3
Cambell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Robert Cambell, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811 3
- Daniel Cambell, aged 22, who arrived in New York in 1812 3
- James Hill Cambell, who landed in Mississippi in 1838 3
| Cambell migration to Canada | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Cambell Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century- Patrick Cambell, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749-1752
| Cambell 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: Cambell Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- Matthew Cambell, aged 27, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Thomas Harrison" in 1842
- Mr. Matthew Cambell, (b. 1815), aged 27, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Thomas Harrison" arriving in Nelson, South Island, New Zealand on 28th October 1842 4
| Contemporary Notables of the name Cambell (post 1700) | + |
- Iain Cambell, British breaststroke swimmer at the 1984 Summer Olympics
- Rear Admiral Dennis Royle Farquharson Cambell CB, DSC (b. 1907), English flag officer of the British Royal Navy; he invented the angled flight deck for aircraft carriers also called a "skewed deck", "canted deck" and "waist angle deck" in the winter of 1944–1945
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Ne obliviscaris
Motto Translation: Forget not.
- Polson, Alexander, The Romance of Scottish Crests and Mottoes. Inverness: Walter Alexander, Inglis Street 1929. Print
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
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