Harrell
A surname of several possible medieval roots, most likely linked to an old personal name such as Haril/Harold rather than to a single clear occupation or place.
The #671 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 6,073 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The historical sources point to more than one possible source for Harrell, and they do not agree on a single explanation. One line of evidence connects it with medieval forms like Harel in Normandy, suggesting a surname formed from an old personal name. Other surname dictionaries group Harrell with forms such as Harle and Herald, which may ultimately reflect a shortened or altered personal-name source related to Harold or similar Germanic names.
History
The surname appears in medieval English and Norman records in forms such as Harel, and later it is found in Britain and Ireland in spelling variants and anglicized forms. In modern usage, Harrell became especially well established in the United States, where it is now the main center of the surname. The surname also shows up in Irish surname materials, but the excerpted sources do not give a single firm Irish derivation.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The name appears in 19th-century surname books in several different spellings and cross-references, which is a good sign that its history was already old and tangled by then.
From the historical record
“Harringa, fam. n. Harrell, Harle, m. Hayo, m. ; Hayung, Heyungs, Hayunga, fam. n. Hebe, f. dimin. Hebeke, Hebke,”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (2nd ed.)