Show ContentsNeedle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Needle name was coined by the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. Needle was originally a name given to someone who worked as a maker of needles. The surname Needle is derived from the Old English word nædlere, which means needler. This is in turn derived from the Old English word nædl, which means needle.

Early Origins of the Needle family

The surname Needle was first found in county Shropshire, where this distinguished family held a family seat since ancient times.

Early History of the Needle family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Needle research. Another 207 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1221, 1235, 1273, 1309, 1313, 1320, 1327, 1362, 1420, 1563, 1616, 1620, 1667, 1685 and 1760 are included under the topic Early Needle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Needle Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Needle are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Needle include: Needle, Needles, Needell, Needdele, Nadal, Nadle, Needler, Nedler, Nedlere, Neelder, Nelder, Neldere, Nadler, Nadlere, Nayldor, Neilder, Needlemaker and many more.

Early Notables of the Needle family

Notables of the family at this time include

  • Benjamin Needler (1620-82), son of Thomas Needler, who was a well-known minister
  • Henry Needler (1685-1760), a music composer, Surrey


United States Needle migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Needle or a variant listed above:

Needle Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Joseph Needle, age 40, who settled in Philadelphia in 1753

Contemporary Notables of the name Needle (post 1700) +

  • Dave Needle (d. 2016), American key engineer and co-chief architect in the creation of the Amiga 1000 computer
  • Howard J. Needle, American politician, Delegate to Maryland State Constitutional Convention, 1967; Member of Maryland State House of Delegates, 1971-78 [1]


  1. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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