Surname Paals - Meaning and Origin

Paals: What does the surname Paals mean?

The surname Paals is of Dutch origin and is derived from the place name Paal, which means ‘post’ or ‘stake’ in Dutch. It originally was used as a topographic name to describe somebody who lived by a post or residence. Alternatively, it can also be derived from a nickname given to somebody who was as thin and wiry as a post.

The earliest record of this surname is from 1597, when one Johannes Jagers van Paal registered himself in the Dutch Protestant Church records of Oegstgeest, Holland. Later records of the name can be found all across Netherlands and Belgium, including cities like Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam, and Antwerp.

During the 18th century, many people with this surname immigrated to the United States, and it can be seen in 20th-century US records. The name became the most common spelling in the United States. Today the surname is most common in the US and Canada, but it is also found in Australia, New Zealand, and even in countries of South America like Argentina.

The name is still most commonly found in the Netherlands, Belgium, and the Netherlands’ former colonies in the Caribbean. There is a small village named Paal in Belgium, which was likely inspired by the surname. In the Netherlands, the name is still quite common.

For any Paals out there, the name will remind them of their Dutch and Belgian ancestry, and often lead to an interesting discussion about their family’s history.

Paals: Where does the name Paals come from?

The last name Paals has a few different origins. The name is most commonly found in Belarus, where it reaches its highest concentrations. It also has relatively high numbers in the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, and France. Records from the late 17th century show that the most significant branches of the Paals family were in Germany, specifically in the cities of Hamburg and Stuttgart.

Later emigrants, usually of German or Dutch origin, take the name to the broader region, including the Americas and Australia. In the United States, there are especially high concentrations of the name in Illinois, New York and Pennsylvania.

In Canada, the largest population of Paals’s resides in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and New Brunswick. Paals is also prominent in the north of Brazil, and in parts of Argentina, Uruguay and Chile. In other parts of Latin America, particularly in Mexico, Colombia and Peru, records are scarce because of low migration and lower records keeping survival rates.

In Europe, the name still holds quite a presence in several nations. In Germany, the last name is most popular in the states of Bayern and Nordrhein-Westfalen. The Netherlands is still a hub for the Paals family-name, where it reaches a maximum. Lower concentrations of the name can be found in Italy, Spain, and other Mediterranean countries.

To conclude, the name Paals has a strong presence all over the world especially in North and South America, as well as the Netherlands, Germany, and Luxembourg. It is interesting to see how migration has caused the last name to expand across the world.

Variations of the surname Paals

The surname Paals is thought to be of Dutch origin and can have multiple variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. The most common variants include Pals, Paalsen/Paalssen, and Paelssen. These all come from the Dutch personal name “Pals,” meaning “pledge,” which could be a nickname for someone trustworthy or reliable.

Other variants of the name Paals include Palz, Palse, Paels, Paelsen, Paesen, Paesser, Paelz, and Pales. These variants are often derived from the original Dutch surname and can be found in records dating as far back as the 15th century.

The surname Paals is also known to have derived various surnames of the same origin. Notable examples include Paille, Pailes, Pailleux, Palinski, Palich, Palisa, Paillier, and Pailhé. These surnames are likely derived from old professional names such as a baker or tailor.

In addition, the surname Paals can also be found in Germany, where it is known as Palz or Palzem. This variant often appears as a different spelling of the original Dutch surname.

Overall, the surname Paals has many variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin from which to trace a family tree. These variants could be useful in researching a genealogy, especially when looking at records dating back hundreds of years.

Famous people with the name Paals

• Johan Paals: Johan Paals is a Dutch diver and Olympic fencer who competed in the 1948 and 1952 Olympic Games. He later became a fencing coach and was an International Fencing Referee and President of the Dutch Fencing Federation.
• David Paals: David Paals is a Canadian actor and stars in the popular film "The Handmaid's Tale".
• Krijn Paals: Krijn Paals is a Dutch former footballer and manager. He was a goalkeeper for FC Twente and later held manager positions at Heracles Almelo, AFC Ajax, FC Volendam, and FC Groningen.
• Roelof Paals: Roelof Paals was a Dutch Lieutenant-General and the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Netherlands Army Forces during World War I from 1911 to 1917. He is credited for training and developing the Dutch armed forces.
• Gijs Paals: Gijs Paals is a Dutch entrepreneur and co-founder of the high-tech engineering consultancy Centric. He has published a number of books on innovative methods of engineering.
• Ab Paals: Ab Paals is a Dutch professional football player and the current goalkeeper of Sparta Rotterdam.
• Nadia Paals: Nadia Paals is a Dutch long-distance runner and hold the title for the Dutch record holder in the junior half marathon.
• Willem Pieter Paals: Willem Pieter Paals was a Dutch admiral and commander of the Dutch Navy. He served as commander-in-chief of the Naval Forces of the Netherlands from 1863 to 1865.
• Ans Paals: Ans Paals is a Dutch politician, teacher, and trade unionist. She was a Member of Parliament for the Socialist Party of the Netherlands from 1982 to 1994.
• Ted Paals: Ted Paals is a Dutch screenwriter and former journalist. He is most famous for his award-winning Dutch-language feature film "The Memory of a Killer".

Other surnames

PaalPaalen