Squelch is a confusing surname that does not seem quite at home in the pantheon of English surnames. Its unusual sound is explained by the corruption of the name 'Welch' to 'Quelch' and the insertion of a leading 'S.' This corruption is illustrated in several parish registers, including the marriages of Edward Squelch to Dorothy Clement in 1666 in Tamworth, Staffordshire. The children baptised to this couple were recorded under the name Squelch. The children of Francis Squelsh of Wotton Underwood, Buckinghamshire were recorded as Squelche, Quelche and Quelch. Welch is a spelling variation of Welsh, signifying someone of Welsh ancestry. The surname would have been adopted by a Welsh person moving from Wales to England. Most Welsh did not have surnames by the 17th century and adopted surnames on settling in England. By the relatively large numbers of people holding the Welsh and variant surnames it appears that it was a popular choice. This coupled with conflicting regional accents makes it no surprise that there are such unusual corruptions.