Surname Pahl - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'P'
Diving into My Ancestry: The Secrets & Surprises Unearthed by My iGENEA DNA Test
Taking the iGENEA test opened the door to a world I didn't know about. My surname, Pahl, held surprising stories centred around unexpected turns and revelations, painting a colorful picture of a well-traveled ancestry.
E. Pahl
read morePahl: What does the surname Pahl mean?
The last name Pahl is of German origin, derived from the medieval personal name Paul. This name comes from the Latin Paulus, meaning small or humble. In the Middle Ages, Paul was both a personal name and a surname in many parts of Europe. During the 19th century, when migration to the United States was at its peak, families bearing the Pahl surname settled in North America.
Other variations of the name include, Pahle, Pawl, Pauli, Paulie, Pahlmann, Paulin, Paulick and Paule. In the United States, the name is most commonly found in Pennsylvania, Texas, Wisconsin, and Illinois.
Although the exact origin of the last name is unknown, the name Pahl is associated with several different areas of Germany. It is believed to have first derived from Lower Saxony, then, from the grand duchy of Oldenburg, and also from other parts of Germany such as Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein.
The Pahl surname was also popular in areas of Russia and Ukraine. In the mid-1800s, many families with the surname Pahl immigrated to these countries, particularly to the area just south of Odessa.
The meaning of the name Pahl is thought to be an association with the word Paulus, which means simple, humble, or virtuous. By extension, Pahl also carries a meaning of goodness, kindness, or righteousness.
Today, the Pahl name is carried proudly by people in many countries, both through direct and indirect descent from this ancient German surname.
Order DNA origin analysisPahl: Where does the name Pahl come from?
The last name Pahl is most common today in Germany and northern Europe, especially in regions that were formerly part of the former German Democratic Republic. It is also found throughout Scandinavia, the Netherlands, and other countries that have large a German-speaking population. According to a recent ancestry survey, Pahl is one of the thirty most common German surnames.
The Pahl family can trace its roots back as far as the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Middle High German word 'pahle' meaning an enclosure made for sheep or cattle. During the Middle Ages, when surnames were adopted, those who owned such enclosures adopted the last name 'Pahl.'
The Pahl family can still be found throughout many German-speaking regions in both Germany and throughout the European continent. It is especially common in the cities of Berlin, Hanover, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, and Leipzig. The family is also found in small towns and villages across Northern Europe and in the United States, especially in areas with large German immigrant communities.
Variations of the surname Pahl
The surname Pahl is of German origin and can be spelt and pronounced in a variety of ways. There are four spellings of the surname: Pahl, Pahles, Pauhl and Paulus. Depending on the region, the spelling of the surname can vary slightly.
The variants of the surname include Paul, Pavl, Pahlen, Pahlian, Pahlisch, Paulsen, Paulson, Paulson and Pauletti. Pahlian is supposedly derived from the Palatinate region of Germany and Pahlisch is derived from Bohemia. The name Paulsen is a patronymic form of the name Paul, derived from the Latin “Paulus,” which means “little” or “humble.”
Paulson is a diminutive form of the Paul or Pahl surname and Pauletti is believed to have originated from the Italian “Paulo” or “Paolo”. It is possible that Pauletti is also derived from the Latin “Paulus” which means little or humble.
When tracing Pahl families, all the variants and spellings can be helpful. For instance, if one were looking for the ancestors of J. Pahl from Germany in the 1800s, one would likely find records for J. Pahles, J. Pauhl, J. Paul or any other variant of the surname.
It is important to remember that when tracing Pahl families, all the possible spellings of the surname should be taken into account.
Famous people with the name Pahl
- Eric Pahl: German racing driver
- Kurt Pahl: German actor
- Andrew Pahl: Canadian actor
- Cathy Pahl: Canadian actress
- David E. Pahl: American physicist
- David Pahl: British television writer
- Don Pahl: American golfer
- Edwin Pahl: British artist
- John Pahl: American poet
- Louisa Pahl: Australian writer
- Matthew Pahl: American television producer
- Merle Pahl: American musician
- Richard Pahl: American film editor
- Riley Pahl: Canadian artist
- Robert Pahl: Canadian photographer
- Roseanna Pahl: British television actress
- Ryan Pahl: American engineer
- Teresa Pahl: American astronomer
- Tyler Pahl: American landscape architect
- Uwe Pahl: German professor