indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Type Surname (from location)
Usage Scottish, Scottish Gaelic
Other Forms FormsArgyle, Earre Ghàidheal
Meaning & History
From the regional name Argyll, a county of southwestern Scotland, named in Gaelic as Earre Ghàidheal ‘coast of the Gaels’. Argyll was the earliest part of Scotland to be settled by Gaelic speakers from Ireland from the 6th century onwards. The origin of Argyle as a surname owes more to its use to denote retainers of the powerful and influential earls and dukes of Argyll, heads of Clan Campbell, than to use as a habitational name.