Cardall Family History

Perhaps a variant of Caldwell via Cardwell (1). Some of the Staffs and Warwicks examples may derive from (2). Alternatively, Cardall in Staffs, Warwicks, and Gloucs may be a variant of the now extinct Kyrdall (-ell -oll) and Kerdall (-oll) later spelled Curdle. Compare the spelling variation in the Gloucs examples and compare Thomas Cardall 1746 with William Curdall 1808 in IGI (Bilston, Staffs) and John Cardall 1815 with William Curdle 1847 in IGI (Saint Philip's, Birmingham).

The etymology of this name is unknown, but the variation in spelling points to an original Middle English word or name beginning in Kird- or Kerd-, the latter giving rise to Card- (as in Clerk and Clark). Formally, it could be a variant of the Somerset name Criddle with metathesis of -r-, but there is insufficient evidence to test the hypothesis.

In Devon and Cornwall, the name is perhaps from Cardwell in Milton Abbot (Devon). With loss of -w-, Middle English Kerdewell would have developed to Kerdell and Cardell, the former pronunciation giving rise to a pronunciation rhyming with the word curdle, probably during the 17th century.

The name is nevertheless difficult to disentangle from possible variants of other names such as those in (1) and (2) above, which may have migrated to SW England from the W Midlands or further north. There is also potential for confusion between names that sound only partly alike.

According to the IGI, in 18th- and 19th-century Stoke Damerel, Devon, Cardell co-existed with Cadwell, Colwell, and Caudle, and in 18th-century Camborne, Cornwall, it coincided with Cadwell and Cordwell.