Gorell and Munkes
Could I have some information on the surname Gorell? I also recently asked about the surname Munkes and found out it was German. Could it also be Danish?
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Munkes could be German, Danish or Swedish. It seems to me that the name is so uncommon that no-one is interested in collecting data on it. As for the meaning, I think Andy's previous explanation stands.Gorell is English. Reaney and Wilson give three possible meanings:
i) "a fat-paunched person", from the Old French Gorel, "pig"
ii) patronymic, from the Old English name Garwulf, "spear-wolf"
iii) from a place name such as Gorwell (Essex), or Gorrell (Devon).
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