Tthis is an Olde English pre 7th century personal name, at least in origin. Recorded in the modern surname spellings of Kemball, Kimball, Kimble, Kimbell, Kemble, Kemple, and Kimmel, it derives from 'Cyne beald', a double compound which translates as 'Bold-Family', a meaning which no doubt helped its original popularity. Indeed rarely amongst Saxon names, it remained popular after the Norman Invasion of 1066, when it was also 'adopted' by some of the newcomers, in much the same way that the later many of the Norman-English-Welsh invaders of Ireland in 1170, later adopted Gaelic surnames. Either way it was one of the earliest of all surnames, Roger Kymbel of Warwick, who was also at various times recorded as Roger Chimbel and Roger Kimbelm, being registered in the pipe rolls of 1191. Some of the surname do derive from the villages known as Kimble and Kemble, but as these villages were themselves named after Saxon warriors called 'Cynebeald', the ultimate meaning is the same. Locational surnames were usually given to former inhabitants, when they moved to other areas, particularly in the Medieval period between the 13th and 16th centuries. An ancient Coat of Arms was granted to the nameholders, and this has the blazon of argent, a fesse sable, within a bordure engrailed also sable. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Roger Kimbel, which was dated 1191, in the Warwickshire Pipe Rolls, during the reign of King Richard l, known as "The Lionheart", 1189 - 1199. 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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