This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Thurkettle,' a compound of Kettle, which see. Kettle as a suffix became -kell, kill, or -kle. v. Thirticle, Thirtle, Thurtle, Thurtell, all variants.

Turketyl, abbot of Croyland, 946-55.

Thurkill the Sacrist: Freeman, Norman Conq.

Thurcytel Marehead: ibid.

Walter fil. Turchilli, temp. 1250: Cartularium Abbatiale de Whiteby, Ordinis S. Benedicti.

Thurkeld le Seneschal, Lincolnshire, 20 Edward I: Placita de Quo Warranto, temp. Edward I-III.

William Thurkel, temp. 1300. Writs of Parliament.

Nicholas Thirkle, vicar of Wiggenhall, Norfolk, 1541: History of Norfolk.

Robert Thirkettle, vicar of Aldeburgh, Norfolk, 1554: ibid.

Margaret Thurketel, Norfolk, temp. 1580: ibid.

Francis Thyrkill, Norfolk, 24 Henry VIII: ibid.

Just as Thurgood (which see) became Thoroughgood, so Thurkettle became Thoroughkettle.

1700. Baptised — Mary Thoroughkettle: St. James, Piccadilly.

This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Thurkettle,' which see, a curious variant. I have not found any 19th century instances, v. Thirtle.

1675. Baptised-William, s. Thomas Thirtiele: St. Mary Aldermary (London).

1677.-Elizabeth, d. Thomas Thirtiele: ibid.

V. Thurkell, Thurkettle.

William Fitz-Turquetil, Normandy 1180 (Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae). Walter Turketil 1204, Normandy. Richard Turketill, Engl. c. 1198 (Rotuli Curiae Regis).

From the Old Norse, Þórketell; in the Domesday Book, Torchetel, Torchil, Turchil; from the Swedish, Torkels; from the Danish, Therchil, Terkel, Thorkel; a personal name.

Thirkell is a contraction of Thirkettle, an ancient Scandinavian name, now found in Norfolk and Suffolk. Thurkil and Thurkill were Norfolk and Cambridgeshire names in the 13th century (H. R.).

The name of Thirkettle, as such and in its various contracted forms of Thirtle, Thurtell, Thurtle, etc., is mainly characteristic of Suffolk and Norfolk; but Thirkell is at present peculiar to Kent. In one form or another it was common in the county of Suffolk in the 16th century (S.); and the name was still established in the eastern part of England six centuries ago, when Thurkill and Thurkil were Cambridgeshire and Norfolk names (H. R.). This name came over with the Danish Conquerors in the 9th and 10th centuries, when several Danes thus called settled in this country. It was a Danish Thurkill, lord of Kingston, Berks, who fell by the side of the English Standard at the battle of Hastings. Thurcytel, an English thane of Danish descent, behaved treacherously at a battle in East Anglia, about the same time that Earl Thurkill or Thurcytel, in 1009 headed a Danish invasion of the eastern counties. The same Danish earl was afterwards made by Canute Earl of East Anglia. Thirkill was the sacrist who witnessed the miracle of the holy rood in Waltham Minster when Harold made his vow before the battle of Hastings (Freeman's "Norman Conquest.").