Earl
A surname from the Old English word for a nobleman, originally meaning a man of rank, leadership, or high standing.
The #2,270 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 19,264 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Earl comes from Old English eorl, a word that first meant a man of valour or distinction and later came to mean a ruler or noble. In medieval English, it became the title equivalent to an ealdorman, or high-ranking noble. As a surname, it could have been adopted from the title itself, or used as a nickname for someone thought to have an earl-like bearing or status.
History
The surname is recorded in English sources from the Middle Ages and is especially at home in England. Forms such as Earle and Earles developed alongside the simpler spelling Earl. Because titles and bynames often overlapped in early surname formation, some families may have acquired it independently in different places.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The modern English title earl is one of the few noble ranks whose name is native Old English rather than Norman French.
From the historical record
“EARITH. Eritb, a parish in Kent. EARL. EARLE. EARLES. A-Sax. eorl. Primaril}' a man — a man of valour or consideration — vir ; afterwards a head, ruler, leader, or hero ; and finally a noble- man of the highest rank, equivalent to an " ealdor-man ;" an Earl. See Bosworth. EARLY. A liberty in the parish of Sonning…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom