Contents [hide]

Fennell History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand West Indies South Africa

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Sources

Fennell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Fennell

What does the name Fennell mean?

The ancestors of the name Fennell date back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from their residence near a place where vennel grew. 1 Vennel was an herb used for cooking. Other sources list the name as a local name derived from the term at the vennel. 2

Early Origins of the Fennell family

The surname Fennell was first found in Sussex, where William Fenigle was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for 1327. A few years later, Henry atte Fenegle was found in the Subsidy Rolls of 1332, again in Sussex. William and Christina Fenel were recorded in the Subsidy Rolls for Cambridgeshire in 1327 and the Subsidy Rolls for Somerset, respectively. 2

"An Alan de Wanile, of Huntingdonshire, and Gilbert de la Venele, of Oxfordshire, are found in the Hundredorum Rolls in the reign of Edward I. If, as I imagine, the name is identical with Venell, Venella, and Venello, it is very numerously represented in the former county, where we find Hugh en la Venele, Ralph en le Venele, Walter ad Venell', Alexander in Venella, Gilbert, Eusebius, Galfrid, and Thomasin entered in the above record; besides John, Peter, and Nicholas de Venele in Kent." 3

Early History of the Fennell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fennell research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1150, 1172, 1292, 1296 and 1661 are included under the topic Early Fennell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fennell Spelling Variations

Fennell has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Fennell have been found, including Fennell, Vennell, Venall, Fenel and others.

Early Notables of the Fennell family

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

Fennell Ranking

In the United States, the name Fennell is the 2,641^st most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Fennell family to Ireland

Some of the Fennell family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 43 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fennell migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Fennells to arrive on North American shores:

Fennell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Robert Fennell, aged 20, who arrived in Virginia in 1624 aboard the ship "Charles" 5
Thomas Fennell, who arrived in Maryland in 1650 5
John Fennell, who landed in Virginia in 1650 5
Martha Fennell, who arrived in Virginia in 1664 5
Mary Fennell, who landed in Maryland in 1677 5

Fennell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Richard Fennell, who landed in Virginia in 1705 5
Daniel Fennell, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1773 5

Fennell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Richard Fennell, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1860 5
Edward, Michael, Patrick and William Fennell all, who arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1865

Fennell migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Fennell Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. John Fennell U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1786 6

Fennell Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Thomas Fennell, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1814
Mr. Thomas Fennell, aged 4 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Saguenay" departing from the port of Cork, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in August 1847 7

Fennell migration to Australia +

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

Fennell Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

James Fennell, English convict from London, who was transported aboard the "Albion" on May 17, 1823, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 8
Mrs. Elizabeth Fennell, (b. 1797), aged 32, Irish laundress who was convicted in Waterford, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Edward" on 1st January 1829, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, she died in 1834 9
Mr. Joseph Fennell, English convict who was convicted in Staffordshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Florentia" on 11th August 1830, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Stephen Fennell, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Duke of Roxburghe" in 1838 11
Margaret Fennell, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Duke of Roxburghe" in 1838 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Fennell 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:

Fennell Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. George Fennell, (b. 1838), aged 28, British labourer travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Bombay" arriving in Lyttelton, South Island, New Zealand on 18th August 1866 12
Mrs. Sarah Fennell, (b. 1834), aged 32, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Bombay" arriving in Lyttelton, South Island, New Zealand on 18th August 1866 12
Mr. Alfred Fennell (Pennell), (b. 1826), aged 40, British labourer travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Bombay" arriving in Lyttelton, South Island, New Zealand on 18th August 1866 12
Michael Fennell, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Algernon" in 1868
Charles Fennell, aged 42, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Douglas" in 1873
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Fennell 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. 13

Fennell Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Edward Fennell, who settled in Barbados in 1680 with his wife, children, and servants

Contemporary Notables of the name Fennell (post 1700) +

Thomas Francis Fennell II (1904-1991), American football player and boxer at Cornell University, inducted into the Cornell Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989
Thomas Francis Fennell (1875-1936), American college football player and coach, head football coach at the University of Cincinnati in 1897
William George Fennell, American Republican politician, Candidate for New York State Senate 20th District, 1940 14
Thomas F. Fennell, American Republican politician, Candidate for New York State Treasurer, 1910; Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 37th District, 1912; Judge of New York Court of Claims, 1915 14
Robert F. Fennell, American Democratic Party politician, Elected Massachusetts State House of Representatives Tenth Essex District 2002 14
John Grenville Fennell (1807-1885), English artist, naturalist, and angler, born at sea between Ireland and England in 1807 15
Jack "Jackie" Fennell (1933-2019), English professional rugby league footballer from Pontefract, West Riding of Yorkshire who played in the 1950s and 1960s
Jan Fennell, English dog dog trainer and author of the books The Dog Listener and The Practical Dog Listener
Desmond Carolan Fennell (1929-2021), Irish writer, essayist, cultural philosopher and linguist
William "Willie" Fennell (1920-1992), also known as "Phooey" Fennell, an Australian radio, television, stage and film actor and comedian
... (Another 14 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Fennell Motto +

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: Honour, integrity, loyalty

Sources +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
"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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 28)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Albion voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1823 with 200 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/albion/1823
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 19th November 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/edward
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/florentia
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The DUKE OF ROXBURGE. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838DukeOfRoxburghe.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020