German Smail/Smael to America (search, family tree, database, surnames)
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Smail Name Meaning Scottish and northern English: variant of Small.English: habitational name from a lost place in eastern Sussex named Smeghel, from Old English smeagel ‘burrow’, or from Brooksmarle (now Broxmead) in Sussex (named with Old English brocc ‘badger’ + smeagel).
Keep in mind that Old English is a Germanic language but by the 18th century, it had long since died out.
This name, with variant spellings Smale, Smail, Smaile, Small, Smalles, Smalls, and Smeal(l), derives from the Old English pre 7th Century "Smael" meaning "small, slender or thin", and was originally given as a nickname to one of slight stature. The surname was first recorded in the early part of the 13th Century, (see below). One, Robert le Small of Huntingdonshire and a Henry le Smale of Cambridgeshire were recorded in the Hundred Rolls of those counties in 1273. Nicholas Smale or Small was entered in "The Oxford University Register" in 1508. On March 6th 1545, Jane Smales, an enfant, was christened in St. Margaret's Church, Westminster, London. Henry, son of John and Alice Smailes, was christened on December 9th 1638 at St. Michael's, Bassishaw, London, and Elizabeth Mary, daughter of John and Mary Smails, was christened on January 2nd 1778 at St. George the East, Stepney, London. The final "s" on the name indicates the patronymic and is a reduced form of "son of". The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William Smale, which was dated 1221, in "The Pipe Rolls of Cambridgeshire", during the reign of King Henry 111, known as "The Frenchman", 1216 - 1272. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.
Does not sound German at all, but maybe they anglisised the name after immigration. There are a few people with the names Smala (about 20) and Smal (about 10) in the German phonebook, and also Smail (about 10), but most if not all Smails seem to be recent immigrants.
I have found some different spellings such as Schmael, Schmal in marriages in Rhienland-Pfalz Prussia I was looking for a Derick Smael, His son Peter who was married in PA USA. does anyone know if 'Deitrich' is 'Derick' in USA
I have found some different spellings such as Schmael, Schmal in marriages in Rhienland-Pfalz Prussia I was looking for a Derick Smael, His son Peter who was married in PA USA. does anyone know if 'Deitrich' is 'Derick' in USA
Old English names dating back to that time period could be either anglo saxion, norse, or a mixture as the two languages were so close speakers of either could understand the other and their two languages combined to become Old English. Before Old English Anglo Saxon and Norse and other local languages were spoken but there wasn't a common one.
I found an offshoot of Smael's in the family tree and assumed German too so thanks for the information.
A Peter Smail immigrated to a heavily German area of Pennsylvania from the Rhineland-Pfalz area in what is now Germany in the mid 1700s. I am a descendant of that Smail.
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