Show ContentsRosal History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Rosal

What does the name Rosal mean?

Rosal is one of the many new names that came to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Rosal family lived in Shropshire, at Rossall Manor, from whence their name is derived. Another derivation places the origin of the name at Rossall Point, a headland in Lancashire, just north of Shropshire. It is difficult to say which of these preceded the other, due to inadequate records of the time. However, due to the relatively close proximity of the two counties, it is quite likely that the two origins are connected in a way lost to the historical record.

Early Origins of the Rosal family

The surname Rosal was first found in Shropshire where they held a family seat from ancient times, and were Lords of the manor of Rossall, originally named Rosela. At the time of the taking of the Domesday Book in 1086, initiated by Duke William of Normandy after his conquest of England in 1066, the holdings were known as the Isle of Rossall, held by the Church of St. Chad. A junior branch of this name gave its name to Rossall in Lancashire which was also included in the Domesday Book, 1 but on which the records are now lost.

Early History of the Rosal family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rosal research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1306 and 1677 are included under the topic Early Rosal History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rosal Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Rossal, Rossall, Rossale, Rosal, Rosall, Rosale and many more.

Early Notables of the Rosal family

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


Rosal migration to the United States +

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Rosal name or one of its variants:

Rosal Settlers in United States in the 16th Century
  • Juan del Rosal, who sailed to America in 1513
Rosal Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Juan Del Rosal, who arrived in America in 1813 2
  • Wilhelm Rosal, aged 50, who immigrated to America, in 1892
  • Polly Rosal, aged 8, who immigrated to the United States, in 1897
  • Rachel Rosal, aged 40, who settled in America, in 1897
Rosal Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Stanislau Rosal, aged 24, who landed in America, in 1905
  • Laureano Rosal, aged 20, who landed in America from Asturias, Spain, in 1909
  • Manuel Rosal, aged 17, who settled in America from S. Miguel Oviedo, Spain, in 1910
  • Julian Rosal, aged 43, who landed in America from Paris, France, in 1910
  • Emilio Rosal, aged 47, who settled in America from Guarizo, Cuba, in 1911
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Rosal (post 1700) +

  • Rosa Rosal (b. 1931), born Florence Danon Gayda, FAMAS award-winning Filipino film actress


  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. 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)


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