Uncle Family History

From Middle English uncle, a borrowing of Anglo-Norman French uncle, Old French oncle meaning ‘uncle’. Compare Eames and Neame. Occasionally, perhaps from the Middle English personal name Unkel(l) or Unketill.

In some instances, this may represent either an Anglo-Scandinavian *Unnketill (a derivative of unna ‘to love’ + ketill ‘kettle, cauldron’) or an Anglo-Scandinavian *Húnketill (perhaps húnn ‘bear cub’ + ketill).

Alternatively, Unkel(l) is an altered pronunciation of the well-evidenced name Ulkell, a reduced form of Old Scandinavian Úlfketel (úlfr ‘wolf’ + ketill) with dissimilation of l—l to n—l.

Old Scandinavian -ketill was often reduced to -kel(l) in Northern Danelaw (as in the Yorkshire examples cited below), but -ketill was commonly retained in medieval East Anglia.

Where Unkyll, as a possible variant of Ul(f)ketyll or Unketyll, is not found until the late 15th and 16th centuries.