An English and German surname, Ansell comes from the Old German terms of ‘ans’ and ‘helm’ which refers to the god protecting such as a helmet. Variations in spelling for Ansell include Anselm, Anshell, Ancelle, Anstrell, Anselme, Ancell and Ansill. In England the Ansell surname is all across the country and into parts of Wales. The greatest concentration is to the south and southeast centered around the city of London, especially in the county of Kent. In Scotland the Ansell name is in Renfrewshire and Perthshire counties. Within the United States the Ansell surname is mostly in Pennsylvania, Illinois, California, New York, Virginia and North Carolina. Famous: Eric N. Ansell (founder of the Ansell Limited business in Australia), Steven A. Ansell (professional violist), Jonathan M. Ansell (a singer from England), Rodney W. Ansell (a crocodile hunter from Australian, the inspiration for ‘Crocodile Dundee’) and William ‘Jack’ Ansell (professional English footballer).