Dashiell
Looking for the origin of the surname Dashiell ... Thanks in advance for any help!

Elinor
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Origin probably lies in the German surname Daschiel the meaning of which I don't know.
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I have never heard of the German surname DASCHIEL, but obviously it does exist. My book on surnames doesn't have it, all I could find is

DASCH: from "Tasche" = bag, pocket
DASCHKE: a Sorbian, Polish or Czech form of first names starting with Da- like Dalimir or Daniel

DASCHIEL could be pronounced either DA-shee-ehl or DA-sheel, I would prefer the second possibility.

Andy ;—)
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I was wondering if it might be a minor place-name. I hadn't heard of the name, but I tried that spelling in my browser and got some Herren Daschiel and Frauen Daschiel. Prior to that I was thinking it might have developed from the French Dacheville as mispronounced by English speakers.
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I haven't been able to spot a place by the name Daschiel, but it may be minor than minor … I have thought of contacting one of the Daschiels found by google, but I'm afraid, few people in Germany have any idea of the meaning of their last names (or even first names).
There is a radio programme in Germany though, I've read about but never listened to. A professor of linguistics is given a surname and has like five minutes time (this is live!) to find out the origin - and seldom fails. I guess, Daschiel would not be a real challenge to him …
But maybe the name is not of German origin at all …

Andy ;—)
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