BUSHELL
Recorded variant spellings include Bu'Shell, Bu'shell
The surname Bushell is of English origin and its earliest appearances are recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed under several spellings such as Buissel and Buscel.
One theory of its derivation is that it is a locational surname connected with the place called Bossall in North Yorkshire. The village name itself appears as Boscele and Bosciale in the Domesday survey and is interpreted as meaning Botieges haugh, a term for flat land beside a river. This suggests that early bearers of the name may have originated from that northern locality.
Another explanation is that the name developed from the Middle English word busshele, meaning a measure of dry goods such as corn or grain. In this sense, the surname was originally an occupational designation: it identified a busheler, a person responsible for measuring and selling these commodities. The word itself is a later development from the French boissel, and the occupational sense of the name is corroborated by records of a merchant named Thomas Bushell of London in 1586.
A third possibility links the name to the Old French word buscel, meaning a small barrel or basket. Under this interpretation, the surname served as a metonymic label for a craftsman who made barrels or baskets capable of holding a bushel of produce.
The variety of spellings recorded historically – such as Buscel, Bussell, Bissell, Biswell, Bishell, Boshell and Bushill – reflects the fluid nature of medieval spelling and the multiple influences from both Old English and Norman French roots.
Early instances of the name include a certain Alan Buscel of Yorkshire in 1140, Richard Bussell of Bedford in 1200, and Richard Buscel of Somerset in 1243. These references demonstrate a spread of the family name across several counties during the thirteenth century.
By the seventeenth century the surname was common enough to appear in parish registers, such as the 1685 record of Major George Bushell, listed as living in Barbados. This shows both the domestic tradition of the name within England and its extension abroad during the early period of British expansion.
Given its long recorded history and multiple derivations, the surname Bushell illustrates how English family names evolved from both topographical associations and trade designations, while also reflecting the linguistic influences of Norman conquest and medieval commercial practices.
Typical given names associated with the Bushell surname
Male
- Andrew
- Anthony
- Christopher
- David
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Claire
- Deborah
- Emma
- Jane
- Jean
- Karen
- Linda
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Buswell
- Bussell
- Beuschel
- Bishel
- Boshell
- Boushel
- Boushall
- Bishell
- Bushel
- Bushelle
- Bachel
- Bachell
- Bachl
- Bachle
- Bashal
- Bashall
- Bashel
- Bashell
- Bashshill
- Batchell
- Beachall
- Beachell
- Beachill
- Beashel
- Bechal
- Bechel
- Bechelli
- Beechall
- Beechel
- Beechell
- Beechill
- Beshell
- Betchell
- Bichall
- Bichel
- Bitchel
- Bitchell
- Bochel
- Bochle
- Boshall
- Boshill
- Boshle
- Bousell
- Boushell
- Boushill
- Bowshall
- Bowshell
- Bowshill
- Boyshall
- Bucell
- Buchala
- Buchall
- Buchel
- Buchele
- Buchell
- Buchla
- Buechel
- Buschel
- Buschell
- Buschle
- Busell
- Bushal
- Bushale
- Bushall
- Bushe
- Bushele
- Bushep
- Busher
- Bushill
- Bushnel
- Bushnell
- Bushwell
- Bushwill
- Busiello
- Busill
- Buskell
- Bussel
- Busselle
- Busshell
- Buzhala
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Bushell in...
Braille
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Morse
-.....-.........-...-..
Semaphore
There are approximately 6,271 people named Bushell in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,512th most common surname in Britain. Around 96 in a million people in Britain are named Bushell.
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 Bushell
- Roger Bushell - RAF officer (1910 to 1944)
- Garry Bushell - Journalist and television presenter
- Anthony Bushell - Actor (1904 to 1997)
- Mike Bushell - Racing driver
- Mickey Bushell - Athlete
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.