Surname Pawling - Meaning and Origin
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Pawling: What does the surname Pawling mean?
The last name Pawling is of English origin and is derived from the place name Pawling, which in turn is a local variant of the place name Pauling, located in the county of Sussex. Pawling is an example of a locational surname derived from the place where the original bearer of the name lived or held land.
The name Pawling may have evolved from an Anglo-Saxon personal name such as Pawa, of which the literal meaning is "thick-headed". Theonymic surnames such as this were formed from the name of an ancestor and were used by families to identify themselves.
The surname Pawling is therefore most likely to have originally been applied to those persons living in the township of Pauling in Sussex, and the name would have developed to its present form over the centuries.
Today, the surname Pawling is relatively uncommon, yet those bearing the surname can trace their ancestry back to Pauling in Sussex. It is an indication of a shared descent that carries with it a certain degree of pride in having such rich and distinct historical origins.
Order DNA origin analysisPawling: Where does the name Pawling come from?
The last name Pawling is of British origin and is quite common in the UK and Canada today. In England and Scotland it is especially common in the counties of Cumberland, Westmorland, and Cumberland.
In the United States, Pawling is the surname of a small town in New York of the same name, which derives from the name of its earliest Icelandic settler, Per Pawling, who arrived in 1696. It is also relatively common in the states of New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, as well as in small numbers in other states across the country.
The Pawling surname has been used as a first name in North America and is of Norwegian/Swedish origin. It is seen in different forms, such as Pauley, Pawley, Paulets, Pawlet, Pawlett, and Pawless. The last name is also found in many parts of Australia and New Zealand, and, to a lesser degree, in South Africa and other parts of the world.
The Pawling last name is considered to be of Anglo-Saxon descent, though there is some debate as to its origin. It is also thought to be linked to the Welsh and Norse Pawlyn family. It is believed that this name was brought to the British Isles by Viking invaders around the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066. Ultimately it was adopted by the British and is still seen today in many parts of the world.
Variations of the surname Pawling
The surname Pawling has multiple variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. The three most common variants are Pawlyn, Pauncelin, and Poling. Pawlyn is the most popular of the variants and can be found in all parts of the United Kingdom. It is a combination of the old English words “pawa” meaning “a head” and “lyn” meaning “of the meadow”, indicative of someone originating from a head or hill meadow.
Pauncelin is also a variant of Pawling which is found mainly in Scotland and Ireland and is a combination of the French words “paon” meaning “peacock” and “celin” meaning “little”. This could indicate someone who owned a peacock, or it could simply represent a similarity to the word “pawling”.
Poling is the oldest of the variants of Pawling and is commonly found in the United States. It is derived from the German words “pollen” meaning “to bend” and “ing” meaning “of”, indicating a person who was either born bent or someone who had moved to a bend in the river.
In addition to the variants and spellings of Pawling, there are a number of surnames of the same origin, such as Paulin, Pavely, Pauley, Pavlin, and Poelling. These surnames all likely evolved from the same source word or have been adopted to describe a certain family trait or a particular profession.
Overall, the Pawling surname has a long and varied history that is evident in the variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. Each of these variants, spellings and surnames tell a story that is as unique as the family members who bear them.
Famous people with the name Pawling
- William Pawling (1809-1874), a DVD music and video producer.
- Scotty Pawling (1931-2006), a Canadian professional Hockey player who played with the NHL's Boston Bruins.
- Jack Pawling (1910-1972), an American cartoonist most famous for his comic strip, Joe Palooka.
- Nathan Pawling (1927-2015), a pioneering figure in the field of Utah school psychology.
- Francis Pawling (1819-1888), an American lawyer and politician.
- Barbara Pawling (1924-2018), a Canadian politician who served as the MP in the riding of Simcoe South from 1984 to 1988.
- Doug Pawling (born 1929), a Canadian politician who served as the MP in the riding of Peterborough from 1968 to 1979.
- Sir Edward Pawling (1814-1896), a British military officer who served in the Crimean War and was later knighted.
- Jacki Pawling (born 1941), an American rock and roll guitarist who performed with The Turtles.
- Noah Pawling (1820-1902), an American railroad developer who built one of the nation’s first railway lines in the early 1800s.