HURRELL

Hurrell is a surname of English origin which is situated throughout the British Isles. The name is associated with Christianity, the English language and English families that have lived in the country for many centuries.

The traditional explanation derives from a medieval personal name, either Horel or Hurrel. These were diminutives of the Old English name Horold, itself a combination of the elements horu, meaning “dirt” or “filth”, and weald, meaning “power” or “rule”. Consequently the surname can be interpreted as “ruler of filth”. A second, Anglo‑Saxon tradition links the name to Hereweald, composed of here meaning “army” and weald meaning “rule”, which would give the meaning “ruler of the army”. Both derivations are widely recognised by modern scholars and are regarded as the foundational explanations for the name.

Recorded forms of the name show a wide range of spelling variations. Early examples include Hurran, Hurren, Harrell, Harrill, Horrell, Hurrell and Orrell. The earliest surviving records are of Richard Horel in a 1154 charter of the abbey of Rievalux in Yorkshire, and John Hurle in the 1273 Oxfordshire Hundred Rolls. Later church registers from London include Grace Hurrell, who married Nicholas Reynolds on 17 September 1627 at St. Gregory’s by St. Paul, and William Horrell, who married Aphra Thomas on 11 May 1648 at St. Botolphs Bishopgate.

While some scholars suggest that the name may have arisen from a geographical location such as Hurrell in Essex, the prevailing view associates it with Harwell, a village situated in Berkshire and Oxfordshire. The place name Harwell itself is thought to be derived from the same Old English elements that appear in the personal name, reinforcing the locational explanation. The surname is therefore classed as a locational surname in many genealogical resources.

Throughout the modern era, families bearing the Hurrell name have migrated from the United Kingdom to other English‑speaking countries. The United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand contain notable populations of Hurrell descendants. However, statistical surveys and parish records indicate that the highest concentration of the surname remains within the United Kingdom, particularly in the south‑western counties, confirming its deep English roots.

Typical given names associated with the Hurrell surname

Male

• Andrew
• Christopher
• David
• James
• John
• Mark
• Michael
• Paul
• Peter
• Stephen

Female

• Alison
• Angela
• Anne
• Caroline
• Christine
• Claire
• Elizabeth
• Emma
• Lisa
• Margaret
• Rebecca
• 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 Hurrell in...

Braille

⠓⠥⠗⠗⠑⠇⠇

Morse

......-.-..-...-...-..

Semaphore

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 Hurrell

• Willie Hurrell - Scottish football player (1920 to 1999)
• Will Hurrell - Rugby union player
• John Hurrell - Cricketer
• Jack Hurrell - (1933 to 1)
• James Hurrell - Darts 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.

Your comments on the Hurrell surname