What is "earl"

Needlefish \Nee"dle*fish`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)

1. The European great pipefish ( Siphostoma acus or Syngnathus acus); -- called also earl, and tanglefish.

2. The garfish.

Old English eorl "brave man, warrior, leader, chief" (contrasted with ceorl "churl"), from Proto-Germanic *erlo-z, which is of uncertain origin. In Anglo-Saxon poetry, "a warrior, a brave man;" in later Old English, "nobleman," especially a Danish under-king (equivalent of cognate Old Norse jarl), then one of the viceroys under the Danish dynasty in England. After 1066 adopted as the equivalent of Latin comes (see count (n.)).

n. 1 The title of an earl. 2 (context chiefly US English) (given name male from=English) from the English noun earl. 3 (surname from=occupations dot=) for service in the household of an earl, or from a nickname.

An earl is a member of the nobility. The title is Anglo-Saxon, akin to the Scandinavian form jarl, and meant " chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. In Scandinavia, it became obsolete in the Middle Ages and was replaced with duke (hertig/hertug/hertog). In later medieval Britain, it became the equivalent of the continental count (in England in the earlier period, it was more akin to duke; in Scotland it assimilated the concept of mormaer). However, earlier in Scandinavia, jarl could also mean sovereign prince. For example, the rulers of several of the petty kingdoms of Norway had in fact the title of jarl and in many cases of no lesser power than their neighbours who had the title of king. Alternative names for the "Earl/Count" rank in the nobility structure are used in other countries, such as Hakushaku during the Japanese Imperial era.

In modern Britain, an earl is a member of the peerage, ranking below a marquess and above viscount. A feminine form of earl never developed; rather, countess is used.

Earl is a surname, and may refer to:

• Acie Earl, former American basketball player
• George Earl (disambiguation), multiple people
• Glenn Earl
• Harley Earl
• Holly Earl, English actress
• Jimmy Earl, musician
• Kate Earl
• Maud Earl (1864-1943), English/American Dog painter
• Oren R. Earl (1813–1901), New York assemblyman
• Ralph Earl (1751–1801), American painter
• Robert Earl (disambiguation), several people
• Roger Earl
• Ronnie Earl
• Russell Earl, special effects artist
• Sam Earl (1915–2000), English professional footballer
• Tony Earl
• [Tony Earl]] (1962-present), English Engineer Known for his Clean Room engineering abilities

Earl is a popular English given name meaning "warrior" or "nobleman" (originally "earl" was cognate to the Germanic title of Jarl, meaning a warrior-king). The name was sometimes used among servants of actual nobiliary earls, and instances of its usage date back to 12th-century England. Some of the holders of this name are:

• "Big" Earl, a fictional alien from the video game ToeJam & Earl and its sequels
• Earl, fictional character in Rocko's Modern Life
• Earl Abell (1892–1956), American football player
• Earl E. Anderson (born 1919), American general
• Earl Anthony (1938–2001), professional bowler
• Earl Armstrong (died 1986) Canadian politician
• Earl I. Anzai, American politician
• Earl Averill (1902–1983), professional baseball player
• Earl Edwin Austin, American criminal
• Earl Babbie (born 1938), sociologist
• Earl Bakken (born 1924), inventor of the transistorized pacemaker
• Earl Balfour (born 1933) professional ice hockey player
• Earl Banks (died 1993), American football coach
• Earl Barish, Canadian businessman
• Earl Barrett (born 1967) former footballer
• Earl Barron (born 1981), professional basketball player
• Earl Bassett, fictional character in Tremors
• Earl Battey (1935–2003), professional baseball player
• Earl Beecham (born 1965), American football player
• Earl Holmes Bell (born 1955) pole vaulter
• Earl Bennett (born 1987) American football player
• Earl Best (born 1947), American community organizer known as the 'Street Doctor'
• Earl Derr Biggers (1884–1933), American novelist and playwright
• Earl Billings (born 1945), Actor
• Earl Bird, a fictional character in the 1976–2000 comic strip, Motley's Crew
• Earl Black (born 1942), Professor
• Earl Blaik (1897–1989), American football coach
• Earl Blumenauer (born 1948), American politician
• Earl Boen (born 1945), American actor
• Earl Bostic (1913–1965), American saxophonist
• Earl Boykins (born 1976), professional basketball player
• Earl Broady (1904–1992), police officer
• Earl Browder (1891–1973), American communist
• Earl Brown (coach) (1915–2003), American football and basketball player and coach
• Earl Brown (basketball, born 1952), Puerto Rican former basketball player
• Earl Jolly Brown (1939–2006), American actor
• Earl Brydges, American politician
• Earl "Butch" Buchholz (born 1940) professional tennis player
• Earl Butz (born 1909), American politician
• Earl Caddock (1888–1950), professional wrestler
• Earl Caldwell, journalist
• Earl Welton Caldwell (1905–1981), professional baseball player
• Earl Camembert, fictional character on SCTV
• Earl Cameron (1915–2005), Canadian broadcaster
• Earl Cameron (born 1917) British actor
• Earl Campbell (born 1900), Professional ice hockey player
• Earl Christian Campbell (born 1955), former professional football player
• Earl Chudoff (1907–1993), American politician
• Earl "Dutch" Clark (1906–1978), professional American football player
• Earl Cochell (born 1922), American tennis player
• Earl Cochran (born 1981), Professional American football player
• Earl Collins (1895–1958), Canadian politician
• Earl Conrad, author
• Earl Cook (1908–1996), professional baseball player
• Earl Cooper (1886–1965), American racecar driver
• Marion Earl Cooper (born 1957), professional American football player
• Earl Cranston (1840–1932), American bishop
• Earl Cureton (born 1957), professional basketball player
• Earl Dawson (1925–1987), Canadian politician
• Earl Devore (1888–1928), American racecar driver
• Earl Dittman, a film critic
• Earl Dodge (born 1932), American politician
• Earl Doherty, Canadian author
• Earl Dotson (born 1970), American football player
• Earl Douglas (radio), radio talk show producer
• Earl Durand (1913–1939), American mountain man
• Earl Duvall (died 1969), Animator
• Earl Eby (1894–1970), American athlete
• Earl Edwards (disambiguation), multiple people
• Earl Ehrhart, American politician
• Earl Hancock Ellis (1880–1923) U.S. Marine Corps officer
• Earl Emerson (born 1948), American novelist
• Earl Everett (born 1984), American football player
• Earl Faison (born 1939), professional American football player
• Earl Ferrell (born 1958), professional American football player
• Earl Gillespie (died 2003), American sportscaster
• Earl Grant (1933–1970), American pianist
• Earl G. Graves, Sr. (born 1935), American entrepreneur, publisher, businessman and philanthropist
• Earl G. Graves, Jr. (born 1962), American businessman and basketball player
• Earl Grinols, professor
• Earl Gros (born 1940), professional American football player
• Earl Hamner (born 1923), a writer also known as "Earl Hammer, Junior".
• Earl G. Harrison (1899–1955), American attorney
• Earl Hebner, former WWE referee
• Earl Hickey, a fictional character from the TV series My Name Is Earl
• Earl Hindman, American actor
• Earl F. Hilliard (born 1942), American politician
• Earl Hines (1903–1983), jazz pianist
• Earl Gladstone Hunt Jr (1918–2005), Methodist pastor
• Earl Dewitt Hutto (born 1926), American politician
• Earl Jones (born 1964), American track and field athlete
• Earl Keeley (born 1936), Canadian football player
• Earl Klugh (born 1954), jazz guitarist
• Earl Floyd Kvamme (born 1938), American engineer
• Earl "Curly" Lambeau (1898–1965), founder of the Green Bay Packers
• Earl F. Landgrebe (1916–1986), American politician
• Earl C. Latourette (died 1956), American judge
• Earl Levine (born 1968), American entrepreneur
• Earl McCarthy (born 1969), Irish freestyle swimmer
• Earl D. McIntyre, Canadian politician
• Earl C. Michener (1876–1957), American politician
• Earl Monroe, Hall of fame basketball player
• Earl "Madman" Muntz (1914–1987), merchandiser
• Earl Murray (1926–1994), American football player
• Earl Pitts, fictional radio character
• Earl Edwin Pitts, American spy
• Earl Sande (1898-1968), American Hall of Fame jockey and thoroughbred horse trainer
• Earl Scruggs (1924-2012), American banjo player
• Earl Simmons, rapper better known as DMX
• Earl Slipher (1883–1964), astronomer
• Earl Calvin Smith, professional baseball player
• Earl "Chinna" Smith, Jamaican guitarist
• Earl T. Smith (1903–1991), American politician
• Earl Smith III (born 1985), professional basketball player
• Earl Stevens, rapper better known as E-40
• Earl Stevens, Jr., E-40's son and producer better known as Droop-E
• Earl Thomas Conley (born 1941), American country singer
• Earl Van Dorn (1820–1863), former U.S Army officer
• Earl Dominic Vernius, fictional character in Prelude to Dune
• Earl Wilbur Sutherland Jr. (1915–1974), American psychologist
• Earl Warren, former Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
• Earl Watson (born 1979), professional basketball player
• Earl Williams (basketball player), "the Twirl", (born 1951) professional basketball player
• Earl Williams (1970s catcher), former major league baseball player
• Earl Weaver (born 1930), former baseball manager of the Baltimore Orioles
• Earl Irvin West (1920-2011), American church historian
• Earl Wild (1915–2010), American pianist
• Earl Wilson (1934–2005), former MLB pitcher
• Earl Woods (1932–2006), father of Tiger Woods
• James Earl Jones (born 1931), American actor
• Wentworth Earl Miller (born 1972), American actor

Earl is a title of nobility.

Earl may also refer to:

• Earl (given name)
• Earl (surname)
• Earls (restaurant chain)

Earl is the debut mixtape by American rapper Earl Sweatshirt. It was released as a free digital download on March 31, 2010, on the Odd Future website.

The Earl was an automobile manufactured in Jackson, Michigan by Earl Motors Incorporated from 1921-23. The Earl was a continuation of the Briscoe. The Model 40 offered both open and closed models with a four- cylinder engine. Approximately 2,000 vehicles were produced. When the Earl debuted in 1921, the tourer cost just $1285. The company also claimed that $100 worth of "extras", such as linoleum floor boards and carpets front and rear were included in the base price.

Benjamin Briscoe appointed Clarence A. Earl as president of Briscoe Motor Corporation in March 1921. Earl had previously been vice-president of Willys-Overland. Briscoe suddenly left in October of the same year, tired of all the misfortune he had suffered in the automotive field to date. He left his car and company to Earl. Earl then announced to the press that he would be forming Earl Motors and bringing out a new four-cylinder car. This was really just the Briscoe car with small modifications to solve some of its problems, as well as being slightly larger and more powerful.

Earl assumed many problems with the company, not least of which was one and a half million dollars of debt. Luckily, Clarence Earl easily raised more capital from bankers. On the Earl Motors board were several bankers, as well as executives from various supplier firms. Included in the latter group was George C. Scobie, who had been with Price-Waterhouse and Hayes Wheel Company, and was now vice-president of the new organization. Clarence Earl developed disagreements with all these board members over the future path of his company, and resigned in November 1922. He then became president of National. Earl had wanted to become a high-volume producer, while the rest of the board preferred a lower-volume, more fiscally conservative approach.

The bankers and supplier executives now took over the company, with George Scobie as president. They promptly reorganized as the Earl Motor Manufacturing Company in early 1923. The new company was capitalized at one million dollars. Soon, this group failed in pursuing their favored lower-volume approach, taking the company down with them. Early in 1924, servicing rights to the now defunct Earl were sold to Standard Motor Parts Company of Detroit. Total Earl production was approximately 1,900 cars.