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Surname Etymology and Meaning of IDLE

Name meanings and etymologies are often disputed. The information here is compiled from freely available sources, and no claims whatsoever are made for accuracy, either historical or etymological.

1. Welsh: from the Welsh personal name Ith(a)el, Old Welsh Iudhail ‘bountiful lord’.
2. English: habitational name from a place in West Yorkshire, which is probably named with a derivative of Old English idel ‘unused ground’, ‘patch of waste land’.
3. English: derogatory nickname from Middle English idel ‘idle’, ‘indolent’, ‘useless’, ‘worthless’, ‘devoid of good works’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names (2003)