This most interesting surname is of Old French origin, deriving from two possible sources. Firstly, it may be a metonymic occupational name for a maker of crossbow bolts or a nickname for a short, but powerfully built man, coming from the Old French "quar(r)el", a bolt for a crossbow. Secondly it may be a nickname for a troublemaker, from the Old French "querel", complaint, accusation. Both French words are found in the Middle English language with the same meaning, and gave rise to the English surnames Quarrell and Quarrelle. Other modern French variants of the surname include Car(r)eau, Carelet and Carrell. Yvo Quarel was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Huntingdonshire, circa 1175 and one John Quarel was listed in the Close Rolls of London during the reign of Edward 111 in 1343. The Poll Tax Records of Yorkshire record one Johannes Qwarell in 1379. Elizabeth Carrell married William Jordayne on August 13th, 1597 at St. Helen's, Bishopsgate, London. Edmond Carrel married Marie Bichard at St. Brelade, Jersey on March 7th 1669. A Coat of Arms was granted to a Carrel family in Jersey which depicts three silver lozenges on an ermine field. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Osbert Quarel, which was dated circa 1175-1176, in the Pipe Rolls of Somerset, during the reign of King Henry 11, "the Builder of Churches", 1154-1189. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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