Surname Markle - Meaning and Origin
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Markle: What does the surname Markle mean?
The surname Markle is of German origin and is derived from the personal name "Markolf," which itself comes from the Old German words "marah," meaning horse or horse-servant, and "wolf," meaning wolf. Therefore, the name Markolf translates to "horse wolf." Over time, the name Markolf became anglicized to Markle upon the family's immigration to English-speaking countries. The name may also have locational roots, referring to individuals who lived in a boundary area or a landmark such as a border mark. Thus, the surname Markle implies a historical familial occupation, place of residence, or physical characteristic. Names like Markle are indicative of the medieval tradition of job-based or location-based family names. Often, such names provided specific clues about an individual's job, geographical location, or even physical attributes. It's worth noting that Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex and former actress, is one of the most famous individuals with this surname.
Order DNA origin analysisMarkle: Where does the name Markle come from?
The surname Markle is of German origin, derived from the given name Markolf, which is a combination of the elements "marc", meaning "border" and "wolf". This given name was popular in the Middle Ages among Germans, but ultimately evolved into a family name. Today, Markle is not particularly common and it is somewhat rare to encounter the name even in Germany, its country of origin. However, it has some prevalence in the United States, primarily due to the German immigrants who took the name with them during the various waves of immigration to the U.S. in the 18th and 19th centuries. The surname recently gained more global recognition due to Meghan Markle, an American actress who married Prince Harry of England in 2018, becoming the Duchess of Sussex. Despite this, the Markle surname still isn't particularly common globally.
Variations of the surname Markle
The surname Markle has several variants and spellings, which have evolved over time due to a variety of factors such as migration, language development, regional accents and illiteracy in past times. Some variations of the name Markle include Markel, Markell, Markwell, Markell, Morkel, Markley, and Merkle.
Spellings of the same origin can also come from its German form "Merkel" and "Mergel", as the surname Markle is of German origin and was initially a name given to a person who worked as a clerk, or a person who held this respected position of the Markle society.
"Markel" as a surname has Eastern Ashkenazic Jewish and German roots, an occupational name for a boundary field watchman from Middle High German "mergel" (boundary or border). "Markley" or "Merkle" are English derivatives referring to 'a boundary field'. Some additional variants of Markle can include Marklien, Markling, Marklinski, and Marklund, which indicates a Scandinavian touch.
As for surnames related by origin, consider "Baker", "Miller", "Clark", and "Carter". These are similar to Markle as these are also occupational surnames from Middle English times.
Famous people with the name Markle
- Meghan Markle: the Duchess of Sussex, notable for being one of the most publicized royals after being a successful actresses before she joined the royal family.
- Thomas Markle: Meghan Markle’s father and former television cinematographer who has famously had a strained relationship with his daughter.
- Roslyn Markle: Meghan Markle’s mother, a universal life minister and yoga instructor.
- Samantha Markle: Meghan Markle’s half-sister and a successful author.
- David Markle: Meghan Markle’s half brother and an entrepreneur.
- Thomas Markle Jr.: Meghan Markle’s half-brother and a window porter in Oregon, USA.
- Jephtha Markle: Meghan Markle’s nephew and an actor and dialogue coach.
- Laurel Markle: Meghan Markle’s brother in law and an executive producer at ‘All in with Chris Hayes’.
- Erik Markle: Meghan Markle’s brother in law and a production designer in Hollywood. 10.Kathryn Markle: Meghan Markle’s friend has also held the same name before her marriage and earned her a benefactor to the Markle family.