Dale
A surname for someone who lived in or near a valley, especially one with roots in northern English place-names.
The #1,188 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 10,376 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Dale comes from the old word for a valley or dell. In Old English this appears as dæl, and in Old Norse as dalr, both meaning “valley.” As a surname, it was often used for someone who lived by a valley or came from a place called Dale.
History
Medieval records show forms such as At Dale, later softened to A'Dale, and the name also appears in forms like De Dale and De la Dale. It is especially common in northern English naming, where many surnames were formed from local landscape features or place-names. The surname also helped generate or blend with many compound local surnames such as Tindale, Tweedale, and Dowdall.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Lower noted that the form A'Dale was made familiar in popular tradition through the ballad of Robin Hood and Allan a Dale.
From the historical record
“Iledesdale from the Rede, &c. DALE. A valley. The medieval form was At Dale, softened afterwards to A'Dale, as often found in parisli registers of the XVI. cent., and widely renowned through the ballad of Robin Hood and AUin a'Dale. In the H.R. we find Dc Dale, and De la Dale. DALGETY. A parish In co. Fife.…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom