Mayle
A surname with at least two likely roots: in many cases it was a nickname from French/Latin words for “small” or “slender,” though some bearers may also descend from a place-name form.
The #7,016 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 64,686 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The historical sources point to more than one possible source for Mayle. One line of explanation treats it as related to Old French forms such as Male / le Male, ultimately from Latin or French words meaning “small,” “slender,” or “lesser,” used as a nickname. Another possibility is that some early spellings reflect a locative surname, especially forms found in Norman and French records. Because the evidence is mixed, the surname is best treated as having uncertain, probably multiple origins.
History
The name is recorded in medieval and early modern English sources, including London and Oxford registers, and appears in Norman material as well. By the 17th century it was established enough in England to appear in parish and university records in forms such as Mayle and Male. The modern American distribution is likely the result of later English migration rather than a separate U.S. origin.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Victorian and early-20th-century surname writers debated whether Mayle was a nickname, a Norman locative name, or both—an example of how hard it can be to pin down short medieval surnames.
From the historical record
“-kin. MAYLE = Male, q.v. MAYLER I (Celt.) the Shaven One, Monk, MAYLOR J Disciple \lr. Maelir,Maolir-mael, maol + the pers. suff. -ir{e'\ Maelir mac Maelir. — Annals of the P.M., A.D. 1205. MAYNARD (A. - Fr. - Teut.) Power -Brave \0. T ent. Meginhard, etc. — O.Sax. megin = O. E. mmgen = O.H.Ger. megin=O.N.megtn,”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)