Bell
Select
Bell Surname Genealogy
Select Bell Names
William Bell, called Redcloak, was the last of the Bell border clan chiefs.
Henry Bell was the Scotch engineer who pioneered the development of the steamship and introduced the first steamship service, from Glasgow, in 1812.
Alexander Graham Bell was the famed inventor of the telephone who set up the Bell Telephone Company in 1877). He was born in Scotland and had immigrated to Canada, aged 23, in 1870.
Manga Bell was a Duala king who led the resistance to German rule in the Cameroon in the 1910's.
Gertrude Bell, born in a Durham industrial family, was a writer, traveller and early administator in Arabia. She and T.E. Lawrence were the leading English Arabists of their day.
Vanessa Bell was one of the leading lights of the Bloomsbury group.
Glen Bell founded the Taco Bell fast food chain in 1962.
Select Bells Today
The surname Bell appears to have
originated in Scotland and in northern England. It could be a
nickname from the Old French beu
or bel, meaning
"handsome." Alternatively, the name could have come from the
Middle English belle or "bell," and denote either an
occupation, a bell-ringer or a bell-maker, or a location, one who lived
by the bell (as attested in 14th century forms such as John atte
Belle).
There were also Bells in Dunkeld in Perthshire. Their name may have come from the Gaelic maol or "bald."
England. One Bell family - from Kingsnorton in Worcestershire - was said to have been originally de Belne, later shortened to Belle and Bell. The descendants of Sir Robert Bell, the Elizabethan politician from Norfolk, included several early settlers in Jamestown, Virginia.
Most Bells in England, however, were to be found on the borders with Scotland and in the northern counties. The Bells of Thirsk in Yorkshire date from the early 17th century. Matthew Bell was a successful tradesman in Newcastle in the early 1700's who bought Woolsington Hall on the proceeds. Lowthian Bell, a Victorian ironmaster, was twice Lord Mayor of Newcastle in the 1870's.
America. The Bell immigrants to America were of English, Scottish, and of Scots Irish origin. The early Bells into New England were English (such as Francis and Rebecca Bell in Stamford, Connecticut). John Bell from county Antrim arrived in 1720 and settled in Londonderry, New Hampshire. His grandson Samuel became Governor of New Hampshire in 1819. Two of the first settlers in Augusta county, Virginia in the 1740's were also Scots Irish - Joseph Bell, the son of immigrant Matthew Bell, and William Bell.
Select
Bell Resources on
The
Internet
- Bell Family History. Bell history and genealogy.
- Bell Family History. More Bell history and genealogy.
- Clan Bell International. The Scottish Bell clan.
- The Bell Clan. Bell clan history in Scotland.
- Bell Roots. A Bell family from Ayrshire.
- The Bell Family in Northumberland. Bells from North Tynedale.
- The Bell Family. A Bell family in Belfast.
There were also Bells in Dunkeld in Perthshire. Their name may have come from the Gaelic maol or "bald."
England. One Bell family - from Kingsnorton in Worcestershire - was said to have been originally de Belne, later shortened to Belle and Bell. The descendants of Sir Robert Bell, the Elizabethan politician from Norfolk, included several early settlers in Jamestown, Virginia.
Most Bells in England, however, were to be found on the borders with Scotland and in the northern counties. The Bells of Thirsk in Yorkshire date from the early 17th century. Matthew Bell was a successful tradesman in Newcastle in the early 1700's who bought Woolsington Hall on the proceeds. Lowthian Bell, a Victorian ironmaster, was twice Lord Mayor of Newcastle in the 1870's.
America. The Bell immigrants to America were of English, Scottish, and of Scots Irish origin. The early Bells into New England were English (such as Francis and Rebecca Bell in Stamford, Connecticut). John Bell from county Antrim arrived in 1720 and settled in Londonderry, New Hampshire. His grandson Samuel became Governor of New Hampshire in 1819. Two of the first settlers in Augusta county, Virginia in the 1740's were also Scots Irish - Joseph Bell, the son of immigrant Matthew Bell, and William Bell.
Select Bell Names
William Bell, called Redcloak, was the last of the Bell border clan chiefs.
Henry Bell was the Scotch engineer who pioneered the development of the steamship and introduced the first steamship service, from Glasgow, in 1812.
Alexander Graham Bell was the famed inventor of the telephone who set up the Bell Telephone Company in 1877). He was born in Scotland and had immigrated to Canada, aged 23, in 1870.
Manga Bell was a Duala king who led the resistance to German rule in the Cameroon in the 1910's.
Gertrude Bell, born in a Durham industrial family, was a writer, traveller and early administator in Arabia. She and T.E. Lawrence were the leading English Arabists of their day.
Vanessa Bell was one of the leading lights of the Bloomsbury group.
Glen Bell founded the Taco Bell fast food chain in 1962.
Select Bells Today
Select Surname List
For other surnames check the companion selectsurname.com site where there are to be found the history and genealogy for more than 500 surnames.
Return to Main Page