VERRILL
Verrill is a surname that is found throughout the British Isles, particularly within England, and it possesses both English and French origins. The name is first recorded within the context of Christian families and has been associated with the English language.
According to linguistic evidence, the surname derives from the Old French word vermeil, meaning vermilion or red. This etymology suggests that the name was originally a nickname given to a person with a reddish complexion or hair. Over time, the spelling of the name has evolved into its current form, Verrill.
Alternative accounts trace the name back to Anglo‑Saxon roots, identifying it as a dialectal variant of the locational name Firle, a village in Sussex. The placename appears first in Saxon charters of around 790 as Firolaland and in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Ferle. Its meaning is understood to be “oak‑covered place”, derived from the early English word fierol, which is cognate with the Old German fereh‑eih, meaning oak or beech.
Spelling variations of the surname include Verrill, Verrills, Verrall, Verrel, Verrell, and Verell. Early clerical records show a range of these forms, reflecting the fluid nature of spelling before the standardisation of the English language.
Historical church registers provide specific instances of individuals bearing the name. In Yorkshire, John, son of Thomas Verrill, was christened on 3 October 1686 in Hinderwell. In Kent, the marriage of Richard Verrill to Ann Heaver took place on 1 December 1691 at East Malling. The earliest reliable family record dates to 15 May 1557, when John Verrall married Ann Peccam in Kingston near Lewes, Sussex, during the reign of Queen Mary I (known as “Bloody Mary”) 1553–1558.
The heraldic symbol most closely associated with the surname depicts, on a white shield, a bull passant beneath an oak tree resting upon a green mound. The arms are rendered in a naturalist style, with all elements in proper colouring. This imagery serves to reinforce the connection of the name to both its English and French origins, as well as to the rural landscape of Sussex where the name first arose.
Typical given names associated with the Verrill surname
Male
- Christopher
- David
- Geoffrey
- Graham
- James
- John
- Jonathan
- Mark
- Matthew
- Nigel
- Paul
- Richard
- Stephen
Female
- Andrea
- Christine
- Helen
- Holly
- Joanne
- Karen
- Lara
- Lorna
- Lucy
- Lynda
- Margaret
- Nicola
- Sarah
- Susan
- Ursula
Similar and related surnames
- Farrill
- Ferell
- Farrell
- Farrall
- Farril
- Farill
- Fearall
- Verril
- Verrilli
- Verrillo
- Ferelle
- Ferral
- Ferrall
- Ferrel
- Ferrell
- Ferrelli
- Ferril
- Ferrill
- Ferrol
- Firrell
- Furrell
- Vareille
- Varle
- Varol
- Varrall
- Varrally
- Varrell
- Veral
- Verall
- Verallo
- Veralls
- Verel
- Verela
- Verell
- Verill
- Verle
- Verral
- Verrall
- Verralls
- Verrals
- Verrel
- Verrell
- Verrells
- Verrile
- Verrills
- Virelli
- Virrell
- Virrill
- Vorel
- Vural
- Vurell
- Faril
- Farrelle
- Feral
- Ferreli
- Ferrelly
- Furell
- Varalli
- Varallo
- Varella
- Verhille
- Verrull
- Virrels
- Voural
- Farrel
- Freel
- Friel
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Verrill in...
Braille
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Morse
...-..-..-....-...-..
Semaphore
There are approximately 348 people named Verrill in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around five in a million people in Britain are named Verrill.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
