FAVELL
In England the surname Favell first appears as a personal identifier linked to a physical trait or appearance. It is of English origin but derives from the Old French word fauvel which means dun‑coloured or tawny. The nickname was presumably applied to a person whose complexion or hair was a fair or light brown hue, or to a person who owned a horse of that colour.
During the early medieval period many surnames in Europe, including in England, evolved from such nicknames. The names Favill and Favel are cognate with the French Fauve and Fauvel. The former was a nickname from the Old French fauve, meaning tawny, and was used for those with a dusky complexion; the latter was associated with the tale of a clever horse in medieval beast lore and was later given to quick‑witted or devious people.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the family name is that of Eudo Faluel, dated to 1160 and noted in the Book of Seals for Yorkshire during the reign of King Henry XI, who reigned from 1154-1189 and was known as “The Builder of Churches.” Other early examples include Rannulf Fauuel of Herefordshire in 1195 and William Fauel of Wiltshire in 1346. In the early seventeenth century John, son of William Favill, was christened on 22 June 1617 at St. Dunstan's, Stepney, London.
The heraldic arms most commonly associated with the surname are described as a black shield with a gold chevron between three silver escallops; the crest consists of a sword in pale supporting a maunch in proper colour. These arms affirm the family’s long standing as a hereditary lineage.
Thus the surname Favell embodies an English tradition of adopting descriptive nicknames into family names, linking the bearers to their appearance, their possessions, or the attributes they were thought to possess, and it has been carried forward through the centuries as a recognised family name.
Typical given names associated with the Favell surname
Male
- Andrew
- Anthony
- David
- Gwyn
- Ian
- John
- Mark
- Mathew
- Matthew
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Simon
- Stephen
Female
- Anna
- Doreen
- Emily
- Emma
- Jean
- Karen
- Margaret
- Patricia
- Sandra
- Sarah
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 Favell in...
Braille
⠋⠁⠧⠑⠇⠇
Morse
..-..-...-..-...-..
Semaphore
There are approximately 781 people named Favell in the UK. That makes it roughly the 8,945th most common surname in Britain. Around 12 in a million people in Britain are named Favell.
Famous people named Favell
- Anthony Favell - Politician
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.