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Updated June 9, 2019

Family name origins & meanings

  • South German (Härle) : nickname from a diminutive of Middle High German hār ‘hair’.
  • Northern English and Scottish : habitational name from Kirkharle and Little Harle in Northumberland (earlier simply Herle, Harle), possibly named from an Old English personal name Herela (a derivative of the various compound names with the first element here ‘army’) + Old English lēah ‘wood’, ‘clearing’.
  • English : variant of Earl.
  • French (Harlé) : topographic name from a derivative of harle ‘ditch’.

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