Early Family History

Irish: translation of Gaelic Ó Mocháin (see Mohan; Gaelic moch means ‘early’ or ‘timely’), or of some other similar surname, for example Ó Mochóir, a shortened form of Ó Mochéirghe, Ó Maoil-Mhochéirghe, from a personal name meaning ‘early rising’. English: habitational name from any of various places, such as Earley in Berkshire and Arley in Cheshire, Lancashire, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire, which derive their names from Old English earn ‘eagle’ + leah ‘woodland clearing’. English: nickname from Old English eorllic ‘manly’, ‘noble’, a derivative of eorl (see Earl). Americanized spelling of German Ehrle.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press