ARUNDEL
Arundel is an English surname that originates from a place name in Sussex, England. The family name has been recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as Rogerius Arundel or Harundel.
The toponymic origin of Arundel is derived from the Old English elements ar, meaning “eagle”, and dell, meaning “valley”. Alternative scholarly interpretations suggest that the name may incorporate the Old English word harhun, meaning “hoarhound flower”, or the element hēre, meaning “army”. In each case the resultant meaning can be rendered as “valley of the eagles”, “valley of the hoarhound”, or “valley of the army”.
Evidence of the surname’s early use appears in several medieval records. The earliest instance is found in the Domesday entries for Dorset and Somerset: Rogerius Arundel (1086). Subsequent references list individuals such as Robert Arundel of Dorset in 1130 and Osbert Arundel of Yorkshire in 1154. These entries demonstrate that the name was already in use across diverse counties of England by the early thirteenth century.
During the same period, the name became associated with distinguished families in Cornwall, Dorset, Somerset and Yorkshire. In Cornwall, three principal lineages – those of Lanherne, Trerice and Menadarva – were established from the early 1200s. In Yorkshire records, a John de Arundell appears in 1292 and a Robert de Arundell in Sussex in 1332, reflecting both Anglo‑Saxon and Norman-French avenues of the name’s transmission. The Norman-French derivation is linked to the word harondel, a diminutive of arond meaning “swallow,” a nickname that may have been applied to a person thought to resemble the bird.
From the late thirteenth century onward, the surname also spread to Ireland. Robert de Arundel served as the coroner of Ibawn, and the family became continuously associated with County Cork, notably the village of Arundel Mills. The dispersal of the family name beyond Britain increased during the era of British colonial expansion, and today it is found in several English-speaking countries, although the greatest concentration remains within the United Kingdom.
The title of Earl of Arundel is historically linked to the family, with the earldom dating back to the twelfth century and the family holding custody of the medieval Arundel Castle, the seat of the Dukes of Norfolk for over four hundred years. This castle remains a symbol of the enduring legacy of the surname.
Over the centuries the surname has undergone several orthographic variations, including Arundell, Arundle, Arundale, Aaronidel, Arundal, Arundil, Arondel, Arindel, and Arindell. Additionally, the Irish name McNamara was occasionally adopted by an Irish family after a marital link with the English Arundel line. Such variations reflect both linguistic shifts and the processes of Anglicisation over time.
Typical given names associated with the Arundel surname
Male
- Christopher
- David
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Philip
- Richard
- Thomas
- William
Female
- Alison
- Angela
- Barbara
- Carol
- Catherine
- Dorothy
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Jane
- Mary
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Richelle
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Arundel in...
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There are approximately 1,144 people named Arundel in the UK. That makes it roughly the 6,657th most common surname in Britain. Around 18 in a million people in Britain are named Arundel.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Arundel
- Frank Arundel - Football player (1939 to 1994)
- John T. Arundel - Guano and copra entrepreneur (1841 to 1919)
- Joe Arundel - Rugby league player
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.