Surname Merell - Meaning and Origin
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Merell: What does the surname Merell mean?
Merell is a surname of Anglo-Saxon origin and is derived from an Old English personal name "Merrill" or "Merill". The name itself consisted of two elements: 'Mǣr' which meant 'famous' and 'hild' which stood for 'battle'. Therefore, the composite meaning of the surname Merell comes out to be "famous battle". It symbolizes someone who is known for their martial skill or bravery in battles. The surname could also be topographic, derived from places that had similar sounding names. It should be remembered that the exact origins and meanings of old surnames often remain speculative due to the passage of time and lack of historical documents. Over time, the spelling might have changed to Merell due to regional pronunciations.
Order DNA origin analysisMerell: Where does the name Merell come from?
The surname Merell has been traced back to several origins. It might be a variant of the English surname Murrell, which is believed to be derived from the Old French term 'merel', meaning 'blackbird'. Alternatively, Merell could be linked to Morel, another French surname relating to a type of fungi, or a nickname for someone with dark features.
In the Middle Ages, spelling variations were common as surnames were recorded based on how they sounded, leading to many translations of one name. Therefore, Merell can also be found as Meryell, Meriel, Muriel, and other variations.
Today, the surname Merell is not very common anywhere in the world, making it a unique name. According to data, it appears to be somewhat prevalent in the United States, United Kingdom, and possibly in parts of France, potentially due to migration and ancestry. Similarly, as with most surnames, the spelling variations may exist in different regions.
Variations of the surname Merell
The surname Merell may have different variants and spellings which are often due to regional and phonetic differences, typographical errors, or anglicization. These include Merrell, Merrel, Merel, Morell, Morel, Murrell, Morrall, Morrell among others.
Merrell is possibly the most common variant which is a habitational name from Merrills in Leicestershire or from Marles in Normandy. The name Morell is derived from the Old French word 'morel', which means dark or Moorish. Similarly, Morel is predominantly found in northwestern France and has the same Old French root meaning. The surname Murrell likely originated in the English counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. It’s derived from an Old English word ‘morholt’ meaning ‘moor-bank’.
Many of these variants resulted from the occurrence of illiteracy among those who first bore these family names, therefore spellings often changed with each generation depending largely on the interpretation of the scribe recording the name.
The British surname Morrall also shares the same origin and translates into "one who came from Morrall (marshy hill), in England."
Note: Researching a surname origin can be complex due to migration and civilization development over centuries, therefore multiple origins could be possible.
Famous people with the name Merell
- Dani Merell, former American soccer player
- Lyne Merell, Québécois television and radio actress
- Orrin G. Merell, former Army Lieutenant and head of the National Guard
- Simon Merell, Canadian singer-songwriter
- Jean Merell, French computer scientist and telecommunications engineer
- Robert Merell, American rower
- Ryan Merell, Canadian ice hockey player
- James Merell, American tennis player
- Walter Merell, German operatic tenor
- Victor Merell, Jr., French and Canadian World War II veteran, politician and diplomat