Dumelle Surname Variations and the Search for Place of Origin

Some spelling variations noted in church records are; Tomule, Tomurle, Tomele, Tomerle, Dumel, Dumele, Domelle, and Dumelle. It is important to note that a names spelling at the time was not as important as how it was said. Priest simply spelled what they heard. T's and D's sounded much the same. My Grandparents always said that the name Dumelle was pronounced Du'mel'la in Glogowatz.

I've been searching for the Dumelle Family place of origin prior to their arrival in Glogowatz. My grandparents always considered themselves German. Oral history is that the family originated from Alsace Lorraine. One might speculate that because they considered themselves German that they probably came from Deutch-Lorraine (possibly a village outside Strousburg). When searching for the origin of the Dumelle family some spelling variations to consider might be

Dumele, Demel, Demerle (Temerle), Demmerle, Demmel Demoulin (de Moulin, Demoling), Domaille, Dummil, Dummell, Dumel, Dummil, Dumall, Dumal, Demler, Tomule, Tomele, Tormohlen,

The name Demerle/Demmerle is a common one in the village of Etting as is Klein. A contact there tracing the Demerle/Demmerle family has found no Paul Demerle in parish of Achen records. His recommondation is to look in Germany, perhaps Sarre. Alternately, there is a cluster of Dumels in the village of Leimbach located in Alsace. They have been there for hundreds of years and are almost exclusively French and Roman Catholic. I’ve had some correspondence with these Dumels, they have much knowledge about their family going back 200 years . . . indications are that there is no connection here. Another consideration is that of DuMelle meaning “of or from Melle” . . . to be continued.