The name Echols is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is a product of when the family lived in Eccles which was in both Norfolk and a parish near Manchester.
The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Echols has been spelled many different ways, including Eccles, Ecles, Eckles, Eyckles, Accles, Ackles and others.
First found in Lancashire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.