Erle

Erle is a proper noun that can be used as a given name, a surname, or a place name. In onomastics, it is often treated as a variant or form related to names such as Earl or Earle, with usage varying by language and period.

Notable people with the given name include Erle Stanley Gardner (1889–1970), an American lawyer and writer best known for creating the Perry Mason detective series. The name has appeared in other contexts as well, but Erle Stanley Gardner remains the most widely cited historical figure with the name.

Erle is also the name of a place in Germany. Specifically, Erle is a district of the city of Gelsenkirchen in North Rhine-Westphalia, located in the Ruhr region. As a locality, it forms part of the urban fabric of the city and shares the regional history of industrial Ruhr-era development.

In addition to its use as a given name and a place name, Erle may occur as a surname or appear within longer toponyms in various regions. The spelling variant Earle is more common in some English-speaking areas, which can reflect different genealogical or linguistic origins.

See also note: The name is related to similarly spelled names such as Earl, Earle, and Errol, and may be confused with them in historical records or contemporary contexts.