Durrell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Durrell family name first began to be used in the German state of Bavaria. After the 12th century, hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules, and names that were derived from locations became particularly common. The family name Durrell is a local surname. Originally denoting the proprietorship of an estate or influence within a village, the German preposition von, which means from or of, used with local names, was taken as a mark of aristocracy. The surname Durrell was given to someone who lived on a dry, barren land. The name Durrell is derived from the Old German word durri and the German word dürre, which mean barren or infertile.

Early Origins of the Durrell family

The surname Durrell was first found in Franconia, where the name Duerer could be considered to make a great early contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of early development of Europe. The name became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses which played important roles in the tribal and national conflicts, each group seeking power and status in an ever changing territorial profile.