Veal
An English surname usually meaning “the calf,” with a possible second source from Old French for “the old.”
The #4,519 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 39,371 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Most evidence points to a nickname from Old French le veal / vieil, meaning “the calf,” which passed into Middle English as veel, vel, and related spellings. The deeper root is Latin vitellus, a diminutive of vitulus, meaning “calf” or “young bull.” Some early writers also allowed a second explanation from Old French le viel, “the old,” used to distinguish an older man from a younger one with the same given name.
History
Medieval records preserve forms such as Roger le Vel and Thomas le Veyle, showing the surname in use in England by the 13th century. Later spellings include Veale and Veall, and the shorter form Viel is also noted in old directories. Because the surname is etymologically close to a common word, it may have arisen independently in more than one family line.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname was applied as a nickname to both men and women in some historical records, which is unusual for many medieval surnames.
From the historical record
“— Modus, 1°95 v°; Godefroy. VEAL 1 (A.-Fr.-Lat.) i Calf [M.E. veel, vel{e, VEALE etc., O.F. veel, viel (Fr. veau) ; Lat. VEALL vitell-us, little call (a term of endear- VEALLE'' ment), dim. o\' vitul-us, bull-calf] Roger le Vel.—Hund. Rolls. 2 for Viel(e, q.v. VEALS, Veal's (Son) : v. Veal. VEAREJ vere, q.v.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)