Purell Family History

A variant of Purl (see Pearl) features an intrusive vowel between -r- and -l. For comparison, George Pearl (1809) and John Purrell (1817) are noted in IGI from Bocking, Essex; additionally, Mary Purel appears in the Census 1841 from Fordham, Cambs, and John Purl in the Census 1851, possibly identical to John Purell in the Census 1881 (Fordham, Cambs). However, it is possible that in these examples Purl is a variant of Pur(r)el (see 2).

Another variant may be linked to Porrill, possibly a reduced form of a place-name starting with Pir-, followed by well or hill. Purwell (Mill) in Hitchin (Herts) is derived from the Old English pirige, meaning ‘pear-tree’, combined with wielle, meaning ‘stream’, and is known to have resulted in a Herts surname.

Purwell (Farm) in Cassington (Oxon) likely shares the same etymology as Purwell in Herts; however, there are no medieval spellings for this place-name, and it is unclear whether it gave rise to a surname. The ancient hundred name Pirehill in Staffordshire, recorded as Pirehel, Pereholl in 1086, and Pirhill in 1199, may have been derived from an Old English term for a look-out (related to Middle English peren, meaning ‘to peer’) combined with hyll, meaning ‘hill’.

Unfortunately, no surname from this area is listed in Tooth. It proves challenging to correlate any recorded individuals with the surnames Porrell and Purell to these established place-names. Furthermore, there is speculation that it might be a variant of Prill with an intrusive vowel between [p] and [r], but no supporting evidence has been found.