BURRELL
The surname Burrell is established as being of English origin, deriving from the region of the British Isles. Historically the name found its earliest recorded instance in the Pipe Rolls of Wiltshire in the year 1194, when a person named Roger Burel is documented. The date coincides with the reign of King Richard I, the Lionheart, and provides a firm temporal anchor for the surname within England.
From an etymological standpoint, the name is linked to the Middle English terms burel or burelles, which described a type of coarse woolen cloth. Consequently, the surname could have arisen as a nickname for an individual who worked with or regularly wore this fabric, a form of metonymic occupational designation that was common in medieval society.
There is an alternate explanation that regards Burrell as a locational surname. In this view the name would refer to persons who resided near a place called Burrell or Burrel, a habitational identification that was also a frequent source of surnames in England.
The surname is occasionally associated with a French linguistic heritage. In Old French, the word bovre (sometimes spelled b(o)vre) denoted a type of coarse reddish‑brown woolen cloth, also known as borel. The name was therefore sometimes used as a diminutive or diminutive‑styled personal name, and could have reflected a practice of dressing in garments of that particular hue or occupation in the wool trade, possibly a wool carder.
Throughout the centuries the name was also recorded in a variety of spellings, including Burrel, Burrells, Borrel, Burrill, Birrell, and Borrill. These variations hint at the fluid orthographic practices of early modern England and the occasional influence of French linguistic forms.
Notably, records of the family appear in London during the eighteenth century. In the parish of St. Mary’s Whitechapel, one Ann Elizabeth Borrill was christened on 5 February 1748, indicating the continuation of the name in the capital over several centuries.
Traditional heraldic accounts associate the surname Burrell with an armorial bearing that is described, or blazoned, as follows: a gold shield featuring a red saltire set against the background, punctuated by four green leaves; a blue chief that displays a lion’s head erased flanked by two battle axes in their natural colours. The crest accompanying this shield is an arm, forearmed, holding a bundle of burdock. The family motto accompanying the crest is the Latin phrase Adhaereo, meaning “I remain attached” or “I cling”.
Demographically, the name remains relatively common within England, though it is not amongst the most frequent surnames. The distribution of the name can still be observed across a range of English counties, with certain localities presenting higher concentrations that may reflect historic settlement patterns.
In modern scholarship, the prevalence of occupational surnames such as Burrell is well recognised. The name serves as a linguistic fossil of medieval textile production and trade, revealing the social significance of craft specialisation in early English society.
For contemporary genealogical enquiry, individuals bearing the surname Burrell are advised to consult the original parish registers, wills and land deeds from the counties where the name appears, as well as the surviving heraldic records that trace the lineage of the family’s coat of arms and motto.
Typical given names associated with the Burrell surname
Male
- Andrew
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
Female
- Amanda
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Jacqueline
- Jane
- Jennifer
- Julie
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Baerol
- Baral
- Barale
- Barel
- Barella
- Barelle
- Baril
- Barle
- Barral
- Barrall
- Barrel
- Barrell
- Barrella
- Barrelle
- Barrellie
- Barrells
- Barrels
- Barril
- Barrill
- Baule
- Baurle
- Bawell
- Beharrell
- Beral
- Berale
- Berell
- Berill
- Berle
- Berrall
- Berrel
- Berrell
- Berrells
- Berrelly
- Berril
- Berrill
- Beryl
- Biral
- Birel
- Birell
- Birelli
- Birelo
- Birle
- Birol
- Birral
- Birrall
- Birrel
- Birrele
- Birrell
- Birrill
- Boral
- Borall
- Boreel
- Borel
- Borella
- Borelle
- Borill
- Borle
- Borrel
- Borrell
- Borrelli
- Borrello
- Borriello
- Borril
- Borrill
- Bourel
- Bourell
- Bourelle
- Bourrelly
- Bural
- Burale
- Burall
- Buralle
- Buralli
- Burehill
- Burel
- Burela
- Burelea
- Burell
- Burelli
- Burghel
- Burill
- Burills
- Burla
- Burle
- Burles
- Burral
- Burrale
- Burrall
- Burree
- Burrel
- Burrele
- Burrells
- Burrels
- Burriel
- Burril
- Burrill
- Burrll
- Burwell
- Buryl
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Burrell in...
Braille
⠃⠥⠗⠗⠑⠇⠇
Morse
-.....-.-..-...-...-..
Semaphore
There are approximately 7,239 people named Burrell in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,296th most common surname in Britain. Around 111 in a million people in Britain are named Burrell.
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 Burrell
- Paul Burrell - Former domestic servant of the British Royal Household
- Boz Burrell - Singer and bassist (1946 to 2006)
- Ty Burrell - American actor and comedian
- Stanley Kirk Burrell - American hip-hop artist
- Orville Richard Burrell - Reggae singer and former U.S. Marine
- Luther Burrell - Rugby union and rugby league football player
- William Burrell - Scottish shipping magnate and philanthropist (1861 to 1958)
- Diana Burrell - Composer
- Daisy Burrell - Actress (1892 to 1982)
- Sheila Burrell - Actress (1922 to 2011)
- John Burrell - Cricketer (1870 to 1948)
- Warren Burrell - Football player
- George Burrell - Scottish rugby union player (1921 to 2001)
- Herbert Burrell - Cricketer (1866 to 1949)
- George Burrell - (1777 to 1853)
- Gerry Burrell - Northern Irish football player (1924 to 2014)
- Martin Burrell - Canadian politician (1858 to 1938)
- Richard Burrell - Swimmer
- Wendy Burrell - Swimmer
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.