Last name origins & meanings:
- English: from Middle English dale ‘dale’, ‘valley’ (Old
English dæl, reinforced in northern England by the cognate
Old Norse dalr), a topographic name for someone who lived in a
valley, or a habitational name from any of the numerous minor places
named with this word, such as Dale in Cumbria and Yorkshire.
- Irish: possibly in some cases of English origin, but otherwise an
Anglicized form of Gaelic Dall, a byname meaning
‘blind’.
- Norwegian: habitational name from a farm named from Old
Norse dali, the dative case of dalr ‘valley’. It is a
common name in Norway, especially western Norway, and is also found in
Sweden.
- Americanized spelling of German Dahl.
- With a reputation as a disciplinarian, the soldier and colonizer
Sir Thomas Dale (d. 1619), was appointed marshal of VA and arrived in
1611 at Point Comfort with the Starr, Prosperous, and
Elizabeth, carrying settlers, stores, and livestock. First
enlisted in the service of the Netherlands, he later served Prince
Henry in Scotland and was knighted as Sir Thomas Dale of
Surrey.
This name appears in the following lists:
Cowboys and Cowgirls,
Mountains and Valleys,
Stars and Planets
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