Burl

Burl
Recorded as Burl, Burle, Burles, and Burls, this interesting surname is English. It was a medieval status occupational name for a butler, the chief servant in a royal or noble house, and often one of great power. The derivation is from the Olde English pre 7th century word "byrele, byrle", meaning a cup-bearer. The title frequently denoted an officer of high rank and responsibility, only nominally concerned with the supply of wine. Job-descriptive surnames originally denoted the actual occupation of the namebearer, and later became hereditary. The surname is first recorded in the early half of the 14th Century (see below). Recordings of the surname from London Church Registers include: the christening of William, son of John Burles, at St. Mary Aldermary, on May 10th 1566; the christening of John, son of John Burles, on September 24th 1570, at St. James Garlickhithe; and the marriage of Edward Burles and Margerye Bebvyne, on June 2nd 1600, at St. Botolph Bishopsgate. In July 1635, John Burles, aged 26 yrs., departed from the Port of London, aboard the "Blessing" bound for New England. He was one of the earliest of the namebearers in the New World. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Byrle, which was dated 1327, in the "Subsidy Rolls of Essex", during the reign of King Edward 11, known as "Edward of Caernafon", 1307 - 1327. 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.

Surnames reference. 2013.

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  • burl´er — burl «burl», noun, verb. –n. 1. a small knot or lump in wool or cloth. 2. a) a large knot or excrescence in certain woods. The most highly prized burls include redwood, myrtle, walnut, cherry, ash, and maple. b) a veneer made with this wood. –v.t …   Useful english dictionary

  • Burl — (b[^u]rl), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Burled} (b[^u]rld); p. pr. & vb. n. {Burling}.] [OE. burle stuffing, or a knot in cloth; cf. F. bourlet, bourrelet, OF. bourel, a wreath or a roll of cloth, linen, or leather, stuffed with flocks, etc., dim. of… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Burl — Burl, n. 1. A knot or lump in thread or cloth. [1913 Webster] 2. An overgrown knot, or an excrescence, on a tree; also, veneer made from such excrescences. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • burl — burl·er; burl; …   English syllables

  • burl — [bʉrl] n. [ME burle < OFr bourle, flocks or ends of threads < VL * burrula, small flock of wool < LL burra, wool] 1. a knot in wool, thread, yarn, etc. that gives a nubby appearance to cloth 2. a kind of knot on some tree trunks or woody …   English World dictionary

  • burl — small knot in wool or cloth, mid 15c., from O.Fr. bourle tuft of wool, which perhaps is related to the root of BUR (Cf. bur), or from V.L. *burrula small flock of wool, from L.L. burra wool …   Etymology dictionary

  • burl — ► NOUN 1) a lump in wool or cloth. 2) N. Amer. a rounded knotty growth on a tree. ORIGIN Old French bourle tuft of wool , from Latin burra wool …   English terms dictionary

  • Burl — A burl (British bur or burr) is a tree growth in which the grain has grown in a deformed manner. It is commonly found in the form of a rounded outgrowth on a tree trunk or branch that is filled with small knots from dormant buds. Burls are the… …   Wikipedia

  • burl — I. /bɜl / (say berl) noun 1. a small knot or lump in wool, thread, or cloth. 2. Also, tree burl. a dome shaped, wart like growth on the trunk of a tree, around 60 cm across and protruding by 30 cm or more, which can be sliced to make burlwood… …  

  • burl — give it a burl Give it a try, make an attempt. Burl is one of almost 200 words that Australian English borrowed from British dialects. It is a Scots word for a spin or whirl , and in Australia we have varied the standard English give it a whirl… …   Australian idioms

  • burl — I Australian Slang 1. attempt; try; 2. move quickly: to burl along (northern British dialect birl to spin) II Australian English Have a try, as in give it a burl …   English dialects glossary

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