How the Bagnall and Associated Surnames Developed
Development of Surnames from the Place-name
But here are some published references relating to the origin of the surname:
Oxford Dictionary of English Surnames. P H Reaney. (Oxford University Press (ISBN 0-19-860092-5) states:
"Bagnall, Bagnell, Bagnold, Bagenal: William de Bagenholt 1299 AssSt; John Bagenelle 1379 LLB H; Ralph Bagnall, Bagnold, Bagenal alias Bagnald 1561 Pat From Bagnall (Staffs)."
A Dictionary of Surnames. Patrick Hanks and Flavia Hodges (Oxford University Press ISBN 0-19-211592-8) states:
"Bagnall English: habitiation name from a place in Staffs., so called from the Old English personal name Badeca, Baduca (from a short form of the various cpd names with the first element beaudu battle) + Old English halh nook, recess or holt wood. Variants: Bagnell, Bagenal, Bagnold.
A Dictionary of British Surnames. P H Reaney (Routledge & Kegan Paul ISBN 0-7100-8106-5) states:
"Bagnall, Bagnell, Bagnold, Bagenal: William de Bagenholt 1299 AssSt; John Bagenelle 1379LLB H; Ralph Bagnall, Bagnold, Bagenall alias Bagnald 1561 Pat, From Bagnall (Staffs)."
Surname Variations
As a personal surname Bagnall is by far the most common name to come down from the original place-name in the past eight hundred years (such names deriving from a place are called "toponymic").
As can be seen above in times long past the correct spelling of a name
or place was a matter of interpretation, often a guess, and has only become
standardised as literacy has improved over the ages.
As
a far-flung and worldwide extended family (one estimate gives a total
of in excess of 132,000 Bagnalls alone) we are fortunate to possess a
unique variant of a surname which is traceable to back to one place, a
tiny and relatively unspoiled village nestling on the edge of the Staffordshire
Moorlands.
The
adoption of the second name or surnames in Europe took place from
the 11th century onwards.
When compared
with families who can only relate their name to a physical characteristics
of an ancestor (Little, Small, Broad), or the name of a predecessor's
father (McDonnell (son of Donnell), Stephenson, Williamson), or an ancestor's
occupation (Thatcher, Fletcher, Cooper, Farmer) we are lucky to be able
to link our surnames to a place which we know was settled permanently
about 800 years ago.
So, we're not a "clan" in the popular Scottish or Celtic tradition. In the 12th to mid-14th Century, John or Thomas or any other person who had lived in the village and moved away, probably only a short distance, would have become known as "John de Bagenhalh (or similar), i.e., John of Bagnall.
Similarly - Thomas would have become "Thomas de Baginholt"
(or similar) i.e. Thomas of Bagnall. Anyone who lived in, or moved
away from the settlement could equally have become known as, say,
John the Cooper (if he were a barrel maker) or Thomas Broad (if he
was perhaps of stocky build).
| 12th Century | Bagenold |
| 1204 | de Baggenhall/Bagenhall |
| 1271 | Baginholt |
| 1271 | Badegenhall |
| 1281 | Bagenholt |
| 1299 | Baggenholt |
| 1327 | de Baggenholt |
| 1379 | Bagenelle |
| 14th Century | Baknold |
| 1510? | Bagenal |
| 1595 | Bagnald |
| Bagyholt | |
| Bagnold | |
| Bagnell | |
| Bignall |
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