Research in
surname dictionaries, gazetteers, and community histories have offered the following
possibilities.
1. A Platt Deutsche (Low German) variation of the first name Paul. The
Baptism of Pagel Pagelsen is recorded in 17th century Denmark. Pagel also appears as
a first name in 18th and 19th century Mecklenburg-Schwerin.
2. An archaic term for the color red. In southern France, there is a plateau
with reddish soil called Pagel. A reddish hued variety of carp, a fish, was called pagel.
3. A no-longer used name for a river in East Prussia. However,
the Oxford English Dictionary reports pagel as a local name for the
cowslip with spelling given as paigle,
pagle, also pagyll, paggle, pagil, paagle,
paugle, peagle, pegle, peggle, peggall.
In 16th c. pagyll, pagle,
paggle, of uncertain origin; but possibly from PAGGLE v.
intr. To bulge, swell out as a bag, hang loosel, from c1590 GREENE Fr. Bacon x. 63 Forty
kine. "With strouting dugs that paggle to the ground."
| Also,
a local name for the cowslip, Primula veris; sometimes including the
Oxlip; also applied locally to some other flowers, as the buttercup. |
 |
| Quotations: |
|
|
| 1530 |
PALSGR.
250/2 |
Pagyll
a cowsloppe. |
| 1548 |
TURNER
Names Herbes (1881) 79 |
There
are iij Verbascula... The fyrste is called in barbarus latin Arthritica, and
in englishe a Primerose. The seconde is..Paralysis, and in englishe a
Cowslip, or a Cowslap, or a Pagle. |
| 1568 |
Herbal
III. 80 |
A
Cowislip, and..an Oxislip..are both call [sic] in Cambridgeshyre Pagles. |
| 1573 |
TUSSER
Husb. xlii. (1878) 95 |
Strowing
herbes of all sortes..5. Cousleps and paggles. |
| |
Ibid.
xliii. 96, 25. |
Paggles,
greene and yelow. |
| 1597 |
GERARDE
Herbal II. cclx. §7. 637 |
Called
for the most part Oxelips and Paigles. |
| 1629 |
PARKINSON
Paradisi xxv. 247 |
In
some countries they call them Paigles, or Palsieworts, or Petty Mulleins,
which are called Cowslips in others. |
| 1691 |
RAY
S. & E.C. Words (E.D.S.), |
Paigle
is of use in Essex, Middlesex, Suffolk, for a cowslip: cowslip with us
signifying what is elsewhere called an oxslip. |
| 1760 |
J.
LEE Introd. Bot. App. 321 |
Pagils
or Paigles, Primula. |
| 1866 |
Treas.
Bot., |
Paigle,
Pagle, or Peagle, Primula veris. |
|
