Argile

This interesting and unusual surname is of Scottish territorial origin from the district of Argyll, west of Loch Fyne in the former county of Argyllshire, now part of the Strathclyde region in South West Scotland. The district was so called from the Old Gaelic "oirthir Ghaidheal", coast of the Gaels. The term "Gaidheal" or "Gael" describes one who speaks a Gaelic language, especially a Highland Scot or an Irishman. During the Middle Ages when migration for the purpose of job-seeking was becoming more common, people often took the name of their place of birth as a means of identification, thus resulting in a wide dispersal of the name. Regional and dialectal differences subsequently produced several variations on the original spelling of the name, which, in the modern idiom, range from Argyle, Argile, Argall, Arguile and Argoll to Orgill and Hargill. Colin, second Lord Campbell, was created first Earl of Argyll in 1457, and Archibald Campbell was created first Duke of Argyll in June 1701. On November 20th 1738, Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Arguile, was christened in Barwell, Leicestershire, and on April 29th 1852, Charles Arguile and Hannah Newcomb were married at St. Pancras Old Church, London. The Coat of Arms of the See of Argyll is an azure shield with two golden croziers in saltire, and in chief a mitre of the last. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Argall, which was dated January 15th 1542, marriage to Elyzabeth Clarke, at Christ Church, Greyfriars, Newgate, London, during the reign of King Henry V111, known as "Bluff King Hal", 1509 - 1547. 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.