I’m posting this because I’m feeling like a smarty pants right now and you guys are the only ones who will be interested! Plus you can tell me if you think I’m right!
As the mother of a [name]Dashiell[/name], I’ve always been bummed about the meaning “Scottish surname, meaning unknown”, or, “page boy”. [name]Just[/name] awful!
First of all, “While many of us would prefer all given names to have one standard English spelling, it simply isn”t the case. ”We”ve said it before: until very recently, names were far more fluid they”ve become in our database-driven society. ”And until literacy was widespread, it was difficult ” and pointless ” to reach consensus on spellings. ”The same person might use more than one version of a name over a lifetime.”- -[name]Abby[/name] at appellationmountain.net
So, with that in mind, hear me out. [name]Dashiell[/name] is an Anglicized form of the old French surname de Chiel, which is of unknown meaning. The de Chiels were French Huguenots who moved to [name]Scotland[/name], then [name]England[/name], then [name]Virginia[/name] and finally Maryland. The name changed from de Chiel to Da Chiell, to Da Shiell, to [name]Dashiell[/name].
So, de Chiell is of unknown meaning. But we know it’s French. “De” in French mean “of” or “from”. So, from Chiell. But where is Chiell? I cannot find anywhere called Chiell. So, maybe it’s because of a spelling change along the way? Keep in mind how much the spelling and pronunciation of this name has changed. So, it is logical that perhaps Chiell was original [name]Ciel[/name]. “[name]Ciel[/name]” is the French word for “heaven”. Therefore, if De Chiell originated from De [name]Ciel[/name], the meaning is “from heaven”.
I would love to hear what you think of my reasoning. Plausible?
It is SO funny you started this thread, because back when when we were considering [name]Dashiell[/name], I was trying hard to find some kind of meaning for the name. I found a couple references that said [name]Dashiell[/name] could be derived from de ciel, meaning “from heaven.” It sounded good to me, and I was fully prepared to tell people that’s what it meant
From what I know dashiell comes from the surname “de chiel” which may or may not be related to the name ezechiel which is a form of ezekiel but I could be wrong about the names sharing a connection.
[name]Dashiell[/name] [name]Hammett[/name] was given the name because of his mothers ancestors who had the name “de chiel”
I’m typing on my phone but will look into it more later today when I’m at home!
'So, de Chiell is of unknown meaning. But we know it’s French. “De” in French mean “of” or “from”. So, from Chiell. But where is Chiell? I cannot find anywhere called Chiell. So, maybe it’s because of a spelling change along the way? Keep in mind how much the spelling and pronunciation of this name has changed. So, it is logical that perhaps Chiell was original Ciel. “Ciel” is the French word for “heaven”. Therefore, if De Chiell originated from De Ciel, the meaning is “from heaven”."
First off, the spelling should be “chiel” with one L which may be why youre having trouble finding information.
Ciel comes from the latin word Caelum so I dont see why a French translation would have an H in it, plus “ciel” was in use at the time of the Huguenots which rules out any changes from that point on. Also, when French surnames have “de” it usually means “of” as in where the person (or family name) originates from not a symbolic meaning like heaven and “de Chiel” has links to royalty
The famille de Chiel dates back to at least the 10th century.
So I am inclined to think the meaning is unknown but will try and look around more. I could be wrong about all this but I dont think so with this name but you never know.
Oh and about Ezechiel is a biblical name, maybe it has some sort of link? I have no clue.
I’ve heard [name]Dashiell[/name] connected to de ciel before, but I don’t think you should assume that that’s where it came from. It’s certainly possible, but “Chiel” is a Scottish word meaning “lad,” from the same root as “child.” That seems just as likely the relative. I’d be very careful telling people that “from heaven” the meaning of your son’s name. The meaning is unknown- you suppose “From heaven” is probably the meaning, and that’s based in evidence. But if professional linguists and genealogists who’ve done extensive research can’t definitively say what the meaning is, I don’t think anyone else will be able to figure it out either. Ultimately, our “definitions” of names are all very complex and unreliable- unless it’s an actual word, there’s always some doubt about the history of a name. Language itself is such an old, variable, and ephemeral thing that very little can be known about it for certain.
I think the important thing is what [name]Dashiell[/name]'s name means to you, not its etymological origins that you have no control over. Why did you pick [name]Dashiell[/name]? Did the literary connection mean anything to you? Maybe the D. initial is shared with someone important in your life. Or perhaps you just loved the name- and that’s fine too. A name doesn’t have to literally mean anything grand or beautiful or spectacular. You clearly picked [name]Dashiell[/name]'s name because you loved it and thought it was beautiful, which I’m sure are your feelings about the boy himself. The love and care you put into selecting [name]Dashiell[/name] is perfectly wonderful meaning all by itself.
@lyndsayjenness That analysis is completely correct! [name_f]My[/name_f] surname is [name_m]Dashiell[/name_m]. Extensive research has been done into the family tree and there is a 3 volume book you can buy detailing it. I am currently studying abroad in [name_f]France[/name_f] and I have found the family castle. It’s in a small village called Morancé near [name_m]Lyon[/name_m] and the castle is called Beaulieu. It isn’t really the same castle; it was mostly rebuilt I believe during the Victorian era and is now owned by the [name_m]French[/name_m] government. We were knights in medieval [name_f]France[/name_f] but left after the [name_m]Saint[/name_m] [name_m]Bartholomew[/name_m]'s [name_u]Day[/name_u] Massacre of Protestants in the 16th century. I believe our direct liege lords were the Chazay-d’Azergues (which is also the name of the bordering village to Morancé).
[name_f]My[/name_f] surname is [name_m]Dashiell[/name_m] and we pronounce it [name_u]Dash[/name_u]-eel. I’ve also heard people pronounce it [name_u]Dash[/name_u]-uhl (like [name_m]Dashiell[/name_m] [name_m]Hammett[/name_m], who was so named because [name_m]Dashiell[/name_m] was his mother’s maiden name). The way we pronounce it is a bit closer to the original [name_m]French[/name_m] “de Chiel” (duh shee-elle).
[name_m]Dashiell[/name_m] is my last name, not first, but I have always pronounced it [name_u]Dash[/name_u]-EEL… or more like De-SHEEL when said quickly. It’s becoming a pretty popular first name these days!
I just ran across this discussion while doing research on my family the Dashiell’s. You are completely correct and your information on the family home, Chazay-d’Azergues is what i have read and it’s very encouraging to find a family member who has been there. The Dashiells landed on the Eastern [name_u]Shore[/name_u] of [name_u]Maryland[/name_u] in the 1650’s and the original home built in about 1665 is still in use by only the 2nd owners (Mitchells). I have a list of the names of the family members buried in the yard. I am going to [name_m]Lyon[/name_m] next year on a pilgrimage to find signs of the family. I’ve already been to [name_u]Scotland[/name_u] and we were in the middle of finding some graves when the [name_f]Queen[/name_f] died and all the government buildings close - ending our search. Anyway, thank for your note to this site - thrilled to read it. If you want to connect my name is [name_m]Ron[/name_m] [name_m]Roland[/name_m] (I am an Eastern Shoreman and been to the home and property where we started) and my email is ron.roland55@gmail.com. Thanks so much. [name_m]Ron[/name_m]
It’s becoming a pretty popular first name these days!