Late Middle English; earliest use found in John Trevisa (c1342–?1402), translator. From ring + -le. Compare North Frisian ringle, ringli, rëngle to ring, reverberate, Dutch rinkelen to jingle, tinkle, rattle, Old Icelandic hringla to clatter, rattle, Old Swedish, Swedish ringla to ring, rattle, early modern Danish, Danish ringle to ring, rattle, jingle.

Late 16th century; earliest use found in Thomas Tusser (c1524–1580), writer on agriculture and poet. From ringle.