indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Type Surname (from location)
Usage Anglo-Norman, Irish
Other Forms FormsBarnwall, Barnwill, Barnewill, Barnewell, Barnewelle, Barnwelle, Barnwell, Bernwell, Barneville, de Bearnabhal, De Bernvale
Meaning & History
A locational surname given to those who lived by a stream in either Cambridgeshire, which derives its name from the Olde English beorna meaning "warrior" and wella meaning "stream", or from one in Northamptonshire, which got its name from the Olde English byrge meaning "burial mound" and well, which also means "stream." a burial mound and 'well(a)'. In the 11th century, the surname was brought over to Ireland from the Anglo-Normans, with a variation first being recorded in 1066 in County Meath.