Colville Family Tree research resources
Investigate the background of the Colville Genealogy using the resources below. We hope you find these sites useful whilst you are researching your Family Tree !
 | Did you know that in the 1881 UK census there were 1025 people with the Colville surname? In that year Colville was ranked number 2568 for popularity in the UK. |
"The town in the defile from col, a defile, and mile, a town. Gilbert de Colavilla or Colvyle was a commander in the army of William the Conqueror; his descendant Philip de Colvill, temp. William the Lion, was the founder of the Scottish branch of the family. "(The origin and signification of Scottish surnames. Clifford Stanley Sims, 1862)
1921 England and Wales Census records are now available!
On 6 January 2022 the 1921 England and Wales Census records were made available online via the FindMyPast website. The records have been indexed and are searchable via the usual methods. These records are only viewable on a pay-per-view basis and are not included in any of FindMyPast's existing subscriptions with the exception of the 12 month premium subscription.
Colville records on Ancestry
Ancestry is a major source of information if you are filling out your Colville family tree. Many large databases are available to search covering from births, deaths and marriages, military records, census records and immigration records with many other smaller collections too. Free trials are normally available and are a good way to fill out a lot of your tree quickly.
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Ancestry.com Global records search results for the Colville family. |
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Ancestry.com US records search results for the Colville family. |
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Ancestry.co.uk UK records search results for the Colville family. |
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Ancestry.ca Canadian records search results for the Colville family. |
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Ancestry.com.au Australian records search results for the Colville family. |
Historical References
"COLVILLE. Although there are more than one place named Colleville (= Col's vill or farm) in Normandy the surname is probably from Coleville, a town between Caen and Bayeux in Normandy. The first of the name recorded in Scotland is Philip de Coleuille who witnessed a general confirmation by Malcolm TV of all the donations by his predecessors to the monastery of Dunfermline in or before 1159 (RD., 35), and other charters by Malcolm and William the Lion (APS., i, p. 364; REG., 15), etc. He possessed the baronies of Oxnam and Heiton in Roxburghshire (OPS., i, p. 389), and was a hostage for William the Lion under the treaty of Falaise in 1174 (Bain, i, 139). Thomas de Colevill appears in a perambulation of the marches of Elstaneshalche, 1181 (Melros, p. Ill), and is a witness in a number of documents in the last decade of the twelfth century. In a charter of c. 1200 where he styles himself "Thomas de Colevilla cognomento Scot" he grants the land of Kerseban on the Doon to the Abbey of Vaudey in Lincolnshire (Melros, p. 172-173). The seal appended to the charter of Kerseban to the Abbey of Melrose, c. 1223, contains a classic head and the inscription Thome de Cottevilla Scotti (Seals, 190). Thomas de Colouilla was charged with treason in 1211 (Chron. Mail., s.a.). Ada de Coleuyll gave the lands of Kynnard in Fife to the Abbey and monks of Neubotle in 1241 (Neubotle, p. 169). Thomas de Coleville of Dumfriesshire rendered homage, 1296 (Bain, n, 810). Robert de Collevyll was lord of Oxenham c. 1330 (Kelso, p. 369-370), and Robert de Colvylle of Scotland for his courage and steady obedience to England was granted an annuity of 20 marks from the customs of Kingston on Hulle, 1358 (Bain, rv, 24). Mr. William Colveil, brother to the laird of Cleish, was admitted burgess of Glasgow, 1630 (Burgesses). Coilwill 16c., CoUuyne 1503, Collwell 1541, Coluil 1655, Coluile 1503, Coluill 1512, Colvele 1484, Colvyle 1388, Colvyll 1432, Colweill and Colwell 1542, Colwill 1583, Colwyng 1546 "(The surnames of Scotland. George Fraser Black, 1866-1948)
DNA
Sometimes you can run into a brick wall in your tree and you just don't have enough evidence to make that next step back in time. A DNA test can sometimes help to make a link to a particular family name if you find you share common DNA with people who have the same or similar surnames as each other. If you are lucky then you may get a match within a few generations and discover some Colville ancestors. Additionally, the modern DNA test can give you a breakdown of your ethnic mix - you may be surprised at the results!
Have you reached a brick wall in your Colville Tree?
Visit our Colville DNA page to find out more.
Birth, Death and Marriage Records for the Colville Family History
Birth, Death and Marriage records are often the best method of making the links to the Colville Genealogy that will form part of your family tree. Although records vary from country to country, they are normally the most formal record of a person's relations. From the sources below you will be able to find a birth record and, from that, a birth certificate can be ordered which lists the names of the mother and father, taking you back another generation in your tree. A marriage certificate may also list the names of the respective fathers of the bride and groom which may then help you to find them earlier in life on a census record enabling you to fill out more detail in the Colville family tree.
Check out Colville Parish Records at Find My Past.
Look at the UK registered births, marriages and deaths for the Colville family name using the FreeBMD database.
Check out Genealogy Bank for Colville family records.
Study MyHeritage for Colville family data.
Explore the LDS Database for records of the Colville family.
Research the Colville surname using fold3 Military Archives and view images of original Colville Military records.
| Did you know that there are currently 1244 people with the Colville surname in the UK? Colville is now ranked number 2894 for popularity in the UK. |
Colville Family History Databases
Search WikiTree for user contributed Colville family records. Collaboration is encouraged so that accuracy of Colville data can be verified or corrected by other users.
Look at MyTrees for information on the Colville family and people looking to contact living Colville relations.
Explore GENi for Colville family records.
Find your Irish Colville relatives on findmypast.ie
Colville Forums
Research the Colville surname using Genealogy.com forums .
Miscellaneous Colville Databases
Look at the Ellis Island Database for information on the Colville family. This database contains over 25 million immigration records detailing passengers arriving in the United States of America.
Use the Surname Map project to look at the current distribution of the Colville surname in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Romania.
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