indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Type Surname (from location)
Usage English, German (?)
Other Forms FormsNorrell, Norell, Norrel, Norrill
Meaning & History
A locational surname from the Germanic (Old English/Old Norse) term for the north. It either refers to someone who lived in a location called Northwell, lived north of a well, spring or stream (Old English weall). The -ell could also be from the Latin prefix -elius, meaning "origin". Therefore this surname could mean "of the North", or "from the North Well".The surname appears in the records in England going back to the middle of the 1500's (mostly in the county of Sussex) and also from the same period in Sweden (see Norell).