Duligal

This unusual and interesting name is of Old French origin, and is an Anglicized, phonetic form of the surname "De L'Aigle" or "Delaigle". The name has three possible interpretations, and is derived from the Old French "aigle", eagle, from the Latin "aquila". Firstly, it may be a nickname surname for someone who bore some fancied resemblance to an eagle, having very keen sight, or a hooked nose, for instance. Secondly, it may be an occupational surname for a hunter of eagles, and finally, it may be a topographical surname denoting residence at "the sign of the Eagle". Recordings of the name in England include: the christening of Isaac, son of Isaac de L'Aigle, at the French Episcopal Church in Bristol, on November 10th 1724 (this recording suggests that the name may have been introduced into England by Huguenot refugees); Catherine Mary Delagal, christened at St. Anne's, Soho, London, in October 1727; and the marriage of Charles Duligal and Elizabeth Wright, at St. Pancras Old Church, London, on September 25th 1825. At their son Charles's christening in 1831 the surname was recorded as Duligle. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Louis Michel Delaigle, which was dated February 14th 1697, a christening witness at Allichamps, Haute-Marne, France, during the reign of King Louis X1V of France, 1643 - 1715. 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.