REVELLE

The surname Revelle is of French origin, first appearing in the medieval period as a nickname for a person of a lively or irreverent disposition.

Its earliest known derivation is from the Old French word revel, which means “to revel” or “to enjoy oneself”. In the same linguistic family the word may also be linked to the Old French reveill, meaning “rebel” or “awakening”, and to the French verb réveiller, meaning “to awaken” or “to reveal”. These different meanings are recorded in contemporary scholarship and have been applied to the surname in various historical contexts.

In medieval usage the name was employed as a nickname for someone who was celebrated for a joyous, social character, or for an individual who enjoyed festivities and celebrations. It could also be applied to a person who was considered nonconformist or rebellious in nature, reflecting the broader range of meanings associated with the root word.

Historical records show the surname in several forms throughout England and France. An example of early use is Revel de Tetenia in the Danelaw Documents of London in 1154. The name is also associated with Sir Richard Revell (sometimes spelt Rivell), who served as Sheriff of Devonshire and Cornwall during the reign of King Richard I (1189‑1199). The earliest known spelling, Robert Revel, appears in the 1177 Pipe Rolls of Essex, during the reign of Henry I.

In England the surname was particularly prolific in Yorkshire from the late fourteenth century onwards. A surviving record from 1590 notes Margaret Revill, who married Robert Cawthorne at Rotherham. Such instances demonstrate the surname’s penetration into various parts of the country over several centuries.

The heraldic arms traditionally associated with the Revelle name are described as an ermine shield charged with a red chevron between three golden mullets, surrounded by a black (sable) border engrailed.

Numerous spelling variants exist, including Revell, Revel, Revill, Reavell, Rivall, Rivelle, Rivel, Rivello and Rivals. The most common modern orthography remains Revelle, employed across most English‑speaking countries.

According to the 2020 United States Census, Revelle ranked as the 6,887th most common surname nationwide. The highest concentrations are in California and Texas, together accounting for over 1,000 individuals. In total, more than three thousand people in those two states alone bear the surname. Revelle families are also represented in Arizona, North Carolina, New York, Hawaii, Delaware and other U.S. states, and are documented in Europe, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and at least twelve other countries worldwide.

The surname continues to be an uncommon, yet globally dispersed, family name. Its presence in historical documents since the early twelfth century confirms a long lineage that spans both continental Europe and the modern United States. This enduring heritage makes Revelle a notable example of a medieval French nickname that has survived into the present day as a recognised surname across diverse regions.

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 Revelle in...

Braille

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Morse

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Semaphore

Famous people named Revelle

• Hamilton Revelle - Actor (1872 to 1958)

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.

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