PIEL (German) Arrowsmith; nickname for a tall thin man. Variation: PFEIL. There is a spelling of PIELE. This one is English and can also mean a tall thin man, but it could also have meant someone who lived by a stake fence or in a property defended by one, or it could mean a builder of such fences. Source: A Dictionary of Surnames by Patrick Hanks and Flavia Hodges also PEEL(E) (English) A variant of PIEL. Dweller in, or near, a small fortress or fortified castle; one who came from Peel (fortress), on the Isle of Man. Source: New Dictionary of American Family Names by E.C. Smith Barbara [email protected] wrote: > Does anyone know the ethnic origins and/or meaning of the Piel surname? > > ============================== > Visit Ancestry.com for a FREE 14-Day Trial and enjoy access to the #1 > Source for Family History Online. Go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/subscribe/subscribetrial1y.asp?sourcecode=F11HB