Origin
Dale : 1: English: from Middle English dal dale daile ‘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 numerous minor places called with this word such as Dale in Cumbria and Yorkshire.2: Norwegian: habitational name from a common farm named from Old Norse dali the dative case of dalr ‘valley’.3: Americanized form of German Diehl.4: Americanized form of Swedish Norwegian or German Dahl.5: Dutch: variant without the preposition van ‘from’ of Van Dale.
Alsop : English: habitational name from Alsop en la Dale in Derbyshire named with the genitive of the Old English personal name Ælle + Old English hop ‘enclosed valley’.
Annandale : from the district of Annandale (Dumfriess) which is recorded as Annandesdale in 1179 and Anandresdale in about 1295. The place-name means ‘valley of the Annan’ from the Celtic river-name Annan (which means ‘water’) + Middle English Early Scots dale ‘dale valley’. Compare Annan.
Archdale : 1: perhaps from Airedale (WR Yorks) recorded as Ayresdale in 1539. This is the dale or valley of the River Aire whose principal town is Leeds where the surname appears as Harsedale (1545) and Arsdall (1588). Further away in the Sheffield area it was apparently altered by folk etymology from Hayrsdall to Horsedall and through palatalization of -s- to -sh- and -ch- to Arshdale and Archdale. It is alternatively possible that the name in (2) migrated to Sheffield where it became confused with A(y)rsdal(e). 2: of uncertain origin. The relevance of Stephanus Erchisdale 1379 in Poll Tax (Ridlington and Crostwight Norfolk) is doubtful. If the name is of Staffs origin perhaps it is an altered form of Archedine attested in John Archedine 1588 in IGI (Lichfield Staffs); Francys Archadayne 1622 in IGI (Wirksworth Derbys); Francis Archedine 1652 in IGI (Kirk Ireton Derbys); Francis Archdine joiner of Cricke Derbys 1656 in TNA. This could be from Anglo-Norman French arcediaen ‘archdeacon’ (compare Archdeacon). Forms in -l- would be an irregular development suggested by the word dale.
Ashwood : English: habitational name from any of various places called as ‘the ash wood’ for example Ashwood in Kinver Forest (Staffordshire) Ashwood Dale in Fairfield (Derbyshire) and Ashwood Farm in Ashton (Northamptonshire); from Old English æsc ‘ash’ + wudu ‘wood’.
Bamber : English:: 1: habitational name from Bamber Bridge in Walton le Dale Lancashire probably named with Old English bēam ‘tree trunk beam’ + brycg ‘bridge’.2: habitational name from Baumber in Lincolnshire named with the Old English personal name Badda + burh ‘fortified place’.3: variant of Bambrough.
Barnsdale : from either of two places named Barnsdale in Rutland recorded as Bernardeshull(e) in 1202 or WR Yorks recorded as Barnysdale in about 1420. The former pair are transparently ‘Bernard's hill’ (Middle English hil hille) and the latter is ‘Beorn's valley’ (Middle English dale).
Bartindale : from Bartin Dale a depopulated place in Hunmanby (ER Yorks) which is recorded as Barkedale in 1270 Berkildale in 1285 Barkendale in 1332 and Bartingdale in 1549. The place-name is from an undetermined Old Scandinavian given name + dalr or Old English dæl ‘valley’.
Baxendale : English (Lancashire and Yorkshire): variant of Baxenden a habitational name from a place near Accrington which is named with an unattested Old English word bæcstān ‘bakestone’ (a flat stone on which bread was baked) + denu ‘valley’. Middle English dale was sometimes substituted for Old English denu in northern placenames.
Burdall : from Burdale in Wharram Percy (ER Yorks) which is recorded as Breddale in 1086. The place-name appears to be Old English bred ‘board plank’ + hall ‘hall dwelling’ though some spellings suggest association with dale.
Cogdell : English (Buckinghamshire): habitational name from Coquetdale (Northumberland) which is earlier recorded as Choketdale. The district name derives from the name of the river Coquet + Middle English dale ‘dale valley’. The river name itself which is first recorded as Coccuveda probably means ‘the red one’ from British cocco- ‘red’ + the ancestor of Welsh gwedd ‘aspect appearance’ as in Welsh cochwedd ‘redness’.
Coverdale : English (Yorkshire and Durham): habitational name from Coverdale in the North Yorkshire ‘in the valley (Middle English dale) of the Cover river (a Celtic name)’.
Dallaway : perhaps from Middle English dale (Old English dæl Old Scandinavian dalr) + weie (Old English weg) ‘valley road’ but this cannot be confirmed as no forms have been found with a preposition. The variant spelling Del- (later Dil-) would reflect occasional variation between a and e as Middle English reflexes of Old English æ and possibly the common confusion between the words dale and dell.perhaps from an unrecorded Middle English personal name *Dal(e)wy Dal(e)wey representing an Old English *Dealwīg a compound of Old English deal ‘proud eminent’ (attested in Old English Dealwine Deal(l)a Dealing) and Old English wīg ‘war’. The vowel between the first and second syllables of the surname would be an intrusive addition in Middle English possibly influenced by re-interpretation of the surname as dale (Old English dæl) + wey; see (i).occasionally perhaps an altered form of Delavall as implied by John Delavall alias Delloway 1706 in TNA (Shrops) unless Delavall is a variant of Dellaway. See Laval and compare Willyam Dallaway 1625 in IGI (Peterborough Northants) with John De Lavall esq. of Dasthorphall 1668 in TNA (Dogsthorpe near Peterborough Northants).
Dallmann : North German:: 1: habitational name for someone from Dalle near Celle.2: perhaps from an old personal name formed with a stem cognate with Anglo-Saxon deal ‘proud famous’ + man ‘man’.3: topographic name from Low German Dalle Delle ‘depression hollow’ (cognate with standard German Tal English dale).
Darley : English: habitational name from one or more of the places called Darley such as Darley Hall in Worsborough and Darley in Menwith cum Darley (Yorkshire) Darley (alias Darley Dale) near Bakewell and Darley Abbey (both Derbyshire) Darley Hall in Over by Middlewich (Cheshire) a lost Derleigh in Little Bromley (Essex) Durley (Hampshire) and Durleigh (Somerset). From Old English dēor ‘beast deer’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’. This surname was taken to Ireland in the 17th century.
Dimsdale : English (Staffordshire): habitational name from Dimsdale in Wolstanton Staffordshire possibly named from Middle English dimple ‘dip in the ground’ + dale ‘valley’.
Farnaby : perhaps from Farmanby in Thornton Dale (NR Yorks) which is recorded as Farmanebi Farmanby in the 12th century Faremanby in 1231 and Farmanbie alias Farnanbie in 1614 (TNA). The place-name derives from the Old Scandinavian personal name Farmann (which occurs in Middle English as Fareman) + Old Scandinavian bý ‘farmstead settlement’.
Grindle : 1: English: topographic name from Middle English grene ‘green’ + dale ‘dale valley’ or hille hull ‘hill’ or a habitational name from placenames meaning ‘green valley’ (Old English grēne + Old English dæl dell or Old Norse dalr) such as Greendale in Devon and Cumbria Grindale in East Yorkshire or a lost place originally called Grendale Gryndale in Loftus (North Yorkshire) possibly identical with modern Grinkle in nearby Easington.2: English: variant of Greenhill with an intrusive -d- as illustrated by the placename Grindle in Ryton (Shropshire) which appears as Grenehull in Middle English but as Grendull and Grendle in the 16th century.3: South German: from Middle High German grindel ‘latch beam pole’ probably a metonymic occupational name for a doorman.4: Altered form of North German Grindel.
Harrop : English: habitational name from Harrop Harrop Dale Harrop Hall (Yorkshire) or Harehope (Northumberland) all of which may derive from Old English hara ‘hare’ + hop ‘small enclosed valley’.
Hollingdale : probably from Holmdale in Rye (Sussex) formed from Middle English holin ‘holly’ + dale ‘valley’.
Littledale : from Little Dale in Pickering (NR Yorks) which is recorded as Liteldale in the 12th and 13th centuries. The place-name derives from Old English lȳtel ‘little’ or Old Scandinavian lítill ‘little’ + Old English dæl ‘valley’ or Old Scandinavian dalr ‘valley’.
Noddle : possibly a locative name from Noah Dale recorded 1759 in Soyland Morley wapentake WR Yorks in 1843 in neighbouring Blackshaw and late in Heptonstall: a name for part of the upper valley of Colden Water in Calderdale. Redmonds Dictionary of Yorks Surnames notes that in WR Yorks it sometimes interchanged with Nodder citing George Noddell alias Nodder 1600 in Feet of Fines (Wakefield WR Yorks). A similar development is shown in the 1797 Lincs example below.
Roseby : from Roxby in Hinderwell (NR Yorks) which is recorded as Rozebi in 1086 or Roxby in Thornton Dale (NR Yorks) which is recorded as Rosebi in 1086. The place-names derive from the Old Scandinavian personal name Rauðr + Old Scandinavian bȳ ‘farmstead village’.
Roxby : English (Durham): habitational name from any of the three places called Roxby in North Yorkshire (in Thornton Dale Hinderwell and Pickhill) or perhaps less frequently from Roxby (Lincolnshire). The places in Thornton Dale and Hinderwell (North Yorkshire) are named with the Old Norse personal name Rauthr (genitive Rauz) + Old Norse bȳ ‘farmstead village’. The places in Pickhill (North Yorkshire) and Lincolnshire are named with the Old Norse personal name Hrókr (genitive Hróks) + bȳ.
Shemwell : English (Derbyshire and Staffordshire): clearly a habitational name from a placename meaning ‘shining stream’ (Middle English shim + well) but this has not been definitely located. There is a Shining Well in Darley Dale (Derbyshire) known from an 1836 map and the surname may derive from an earlier name for that.
Shimwell : probably a variant of Shimell (see Shemeld) with a folk etymological interpretation of -ell as a casual pronunciation of -well. South Hykeham where the name is recorded in the late 16th century is 15 miles from Belton where the surname Symeld occurs in 1332 Subsidy Rolls (Lincs). Compare Alicia Shemeld 1611 William Shimwell 1755 in IGI (Chesterfield Derbys); Ruth Shimell 1755 Elizabeth Shimwell 1801 in IGI (Ault Hucknall Derbys).apparently from a place-name meaning ‘shining stream’ (Middle English shim + well) but this has not been definitely located. There is Shining Well in Darley Dale (only known from an 1836 map; Place-Names of Derbys p. 83) suitably placed for Bakewell and Chesterfield Poor Law Unions where the name is most numerous in 1881. The surname could derive from an earlier name for that but lack of evidence makes this doubtful.
Slayton : English: perhaps a variant of Leighton (compare Layton) with the addition of initial S-. Alternatively perhaps a variant of Sladen or of Sleightholme principally a habitational name from Sleightholme Dale in Kirkbymoorside but perhaps occasionally from Sleightholme in Bowes or the lost Sleightholme in Lythe. The placenames derive from Old Norse sléttr ‘smooth level’ + holmr ‘small island water meadow’. This surname is now very rare in Britain. Compare Slaydon.
Sleightholme : principally from Sleightholme Dale in Kirkbymoorside (NR Yorks) but perhaps occasionally from Sleightholme in Bowes (NR Yorks) or the lost Sleightholme in Lythe (NR Yorks). The place-names derive from Old Scandinavian sléttr ‘smooth level’ + holmr ‘small island water meadow’.
Snasdell : variant of Snowsill remodelled (in Yorks) with intrusive -d- as if containing the topographical term dale dell ‘valley’.
Stainton : English (Lincolnshire and northern England): habitational name from any of various places called Stainton including Stainton by Langworth Market Stainton and Stainton le Vale (all Lincolnshire) Stainton Dale (North Yorkshire) and Stainton (Cumberland Durham Lincolnshire Lancashire Westmorland Yorkshire and North Yorkshire). The placenames derive either from Old Norse steinn ‘stone rock’ or from Old English stān ‘stone rock’ later replaced by Old Norse steinn + Old English tūn. The name was probably sometimes confused with or absorbed by Stanton.
Truesdale : English (Lancashire): habitational name perhaps from Trouts Dale (Yorkshire). The placename may derive from the Old Norse personal name Trútr (genitive Trúts) + Old Norse dalr ‘valley’. This form of the surname has also been established in Ireland since the 18th century.
Ubsdell : apparently from an unidentified lost place called Upsdale in or near Hants. If so the generic element of the place-name is Middle English dale ‘pit hollow dale’ (Old English dæl). Alternatively it might be from a Middle English topographic name *Uppedale with an intrusive -s-. It would denote someone who lived ‘up the dale’. Compare Uphill and Dale.
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Source : DAFN2 : Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, ©2022 by Patrick Hanks and Oxford University Press
FANBI : The Oxford Dictionary if Family Names in Britain and Ireland, ©2016, University of the West of England
FANBI : The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain, ©2021, University of the West of England
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