Lower, Mark A (1860) Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom. London: J.R. Smith. Public Domain.
ALE
As described in historical dictionaries
Patronymica Britannica (1860)
ALE. Apparently an ancient Christian name, as we find in the H.E. the form fir Ale, the son of Ale. In the south of England the surname Earle is often pronounced Ale.