Surname Paehle - Meaning and Origin
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Paehle: What does the surname Paehle mean?
The surname Paehle is of German origin, derived from the German word “Pfahl”. It was initially an occupational name for someone who would have worked as a saw miller or carpenter. It is thought to have originated in the Middle Ages when carpentry and saw milling was highly sought after as a profession, and was associated with the nobility or higher social status.
The surname Paehle is derived from the North Germanic term “pahle”, which means “pillow”. It is believed to refer to those who were engaged in the manufacture of down-filled pillows, an ancient craft that was common in Europe from the medieval period onwards.
Today, Paehle is a common surname in Germany and can be found throughout Europe, but is also mostly found in the United States and Canada. In the United States, the Paehle surname can be found in the states of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio (among others).
Overall, Paehle is a German occupational surname, derived from the word “pahle”, which means “pillow”. It is now a common surnane in many different areas across the world, and can often be associated with certain geographical regions and professions.
Order DNA origin analysisPaehle: Where does the name Paehle come from?
The last name Paehle is most common in Germany and Austria, where it first appeared in the middle ages. In Germany, there are still several people who carry this surname today, scattered throughout the entire country, but the area around North Rhine-Westphalia is where it is most concentrated.
Austria also has a significant population of people with the last name Paehle. The provinces of Styria and Lower Austria tend to be particularly well represented, with other Austrian regions like Tyrol, Upper Austria and Salzburg also reporting populations with this surname.
Those of Paehle descent will also find the name scattered throughout Europe. Belgium, the Netherlands, Hungary, and Russia have all been home to members of this ancient family at various points in their history.
Back across the pond, the Paehle last name has made its mark in the United States. It is particularly popular in Wisconsin, Minnesota, New York and Pennsylvania.
Given the far-reaching nature of this surname, it is safe to say that it has had a wide impact over the centuries. The name will live on for generations to come, no matter where it is found in the world.
Variations of the surname Paehle
The surname Paehle is a German surname, derived from the Old High German term 'pal' meaning plank or beam, and therefore a topographic surname for someone who lived near a pal or beam. It was common to spell the surname in several different ways, so variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin as Paehle would include Pahle, Pahl, Paehl, Paile, Pikle, and Pähler.
Pahle is a common variant of the surname, either because the letter "e" was not heard or easily pronounced by the recorder of the name when it was taken down, or because it was analogous to the Low German pronunciation of the name. It is also possible that the letter "e" was dropped at some point to sound more Germanic.
The Pahl version of the surname likely emerged either because the 'h' sound of the Old High German word pal, was lost at some point, or when the letter 'h' was anglicised, making it a closer fit to the English language.
The surname Paile is likely a variation of the Paehle spelling, sometimes written as Peter Paile or Peter Paehle. It is thought to have originated in the 17th century, and is most common in the United States.
The spelling Pikle is another variant of the name Paehle. Pikle or Pikol are variants of the name Pickel, which means pickaxe or axe in Old High German. The spelling of the name probably emerged as a nickname for a woodcutter.
Finally, Pähler is a distinct branch of the Paehle surname. It is thought to have originated as a regional name for someone from a place called Pähl in Bavaria, Germany.
All of these variants and spellings of the Paehle surname are of the same origin - derived from the Old High German term 'pal' meaning plank or beam.
Famous people with the name Paehle
- Chris Paehle: former professional US baseball player and coach
- Kathy Paehle: member of the Illinois House of Representatives
- Pete Paehle: semi-professional US soccer player
- Olaf Paehle: German diver and Olympic medalist
- Christina Paehle: US Field hockey player
- Johannes Paehle: German adventurer, author and award-winning documentary filmmaker
- Wilhelm Paehle: 19th century German geologist and geographer
- Dessislava Paneva-Marinova: Bulgarian writer and translator
- Armin Paehle: German film director
- Ted Paehle: American politician
- Mary Paehle: Minnesota Formal Deputy Lieutenant Governor
- George Paehle: former Mayor of Milwaukee
- Laura Paehle: All-American volleyball player
- Paul Paehle: Austro-Hungarian World War I fighter ace
- Julie Paehle: US Olympic swimmer