ToltonEnglish, Irish habitational name possibly from either of two places called Tollerton in Nottinghamshire and North Yorkshire. The first is named from the Old Norse personal name Þórleifr and Old English tun "settlement, enclosure"; the second is from Old English tolnere "tax gatherers" and tun.
ToneEnglish Was first found in Leicestershire where Ralph de Toni received lands of the Lordship of Belvoir for his services as Standard bearer at Hastings in 1066 A.D.
TorkingtonEnglish From the name of a place in Greater Manchester, originally meaning "Tork's settlement" (Tork being a name or nickname combined with Old English tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town").
TorreyEnglish Means "conqueror, victor" in Old English.
ToveyEnglish From the Old Norse male personal name Tófi, a shortened form of various compound names beginning with Thorf- or Thorv- (e.g. Þórvaldr), based on the name of the thunder god Þórr... [more]
TownEnglish topographic name from Middle English toun(e) th one tun(e) "town village settlement" (Old English tun) often in the senses "primary settlement within an area" "manor estate" and "hamlet farm" for someone who lived in such a place.
TownleyEnglish Habitational name for a person from Towneley near Burnley in Lancashire, itself from the Old English elements tun "enclosure, settlement" and leah "wood, clearing"... [more]
TownshendEnglish Variant of Townsend. This surname is borne by the English musician Pete Townshend (1945-).
TozerEnglish Tozer is a surname commonly believed to have originated in Devon, South West England. It is a reference to the occupation of carding of wool which was originally performed by the use of teasels (Latin carduus), via the Middle English word tōsen, to tease (out).
TraffordEnglish Habitational name derived from either Trafford, Lancashire (an Anglo-French variant of Stratford), from Bridge Mickle and Wimbolds Trafford, Cheshire (derived from Old English trog "trough, valley" and ford "river crossing"), or from the now-lost settlement of Trafford in Northamptonshire (derived from Old English traeppe "trap, fish trap" and ford).
TrainEnglish English (Devon): 1. metonymic occupational name for a trapper or hunter, from Middle English trayne, Old French traine ‘guile’, ‘snare’, ‘trap’. ... [more]
TranmerEnglish Habitational name from Tranmere, a district within the borough of Birkenhead, Cheshire, or Tranmires, an area in Hackness, North Yorkshire. Both toponyms derive from Old Norse trani "crane (bird)" and melr "sandbank, dune".
TraynorEnglish Derives from old English word 'trayne' which means to trap or to snare. Also an occupational name given to horse trainers. First found in Yorkshire, England in the 1300s.
TreacherEnglish From a medieval nickname for a tricky or deceptive person (from Old French tricheor "trickster, cheat").
TreadwellEnglish Occupational name for a fuller, a person who cleaned and shrunk newly woven cloth by treading it. It is derived from Middle English tred(en) "to tread" and well "well".
TrevathanEnglish, Cornish Habitational name from one or more places in Cornwall named Trevethan, from Middle Cornish tre "estate farmstead" with a second element of uncertain meaning. It could be an unrecorded Old Cornish personal name Buthen.
TrippierEnglish This surname is derived from an occupation. 'a tripherd,' a goatherd, Yorkshire and Lancashire. 'Trip, a flock of sheep, a herd of swine or goats' (Halliwell).
TrollopeEnglish Locational surname derived from Trolhop, the original name of Troughburn, a place in Northumberland, England. The place name means "troll valley" from Old Norse troll "troll, supernatural being" and hop "enclosed valley, enclosed land"... [more]
TromansEnglish A nickname surname which was given to a trustworthy man, of medieval English origin.
TrossEnglish (American) This is a surname used by a person in furry culture for his fursona, Arden Tross.
TrothEnglish From a nickname meaning "truth" or "oath, pledge, promise", given to someone known to be truthful or loyal, or perhaps known for swearing oaths.
TrottEnglish "Trott" is an early recorded surname of the 17th century in America. It is five hundred years older when linked to Medieval Britain.
TrotterEnglish, Scottish, German Northern English and Scottish: occupational name for a messenger, from an agent derivative of Middle English trot(en) 'to walk fast' (Old French troter, of Germanic origin). ... [more]
TroutEnglish Occupational name for a fisherman, or a nickname for someone supposedly resembling the fish.
TroutmanEnglish (American) Americanized form of German "Trautmann". The German adjective "traut" means “dear” or "beloved", and it derives from the same root as "trauen": to trust. Worldwide, there are now more Troutmans than Trautmanns.... [more]
TrowEnglish Nickname for a trustworthy person, from Middle English trow(e), trew(e) 'faithful', 'steadfast'.
TruettEnglish English habitational name from Trewhitt in Northumbria, named from Old Norse tyri ‘dry resinous wood’ + possibly an Old English wiht ‘river bend’.
TrumpEnglish Metonymic occupational name for a trumpeter, from Middle English trumpe "trumpet".
TrusloveEnglish A variant of Truelove. Truelove is common in the North of England whereas Truslove is its southern variant, being found in Warwickshire and Leicestershire. It is unclear if individuals bearing either surname are linked by a common ancestor, or if people bearing the surname Truslove are descended from Trueloves who migrated from further North of England.... [more]
TrustyEnglish This is a late medieval occupation descriptive name given to a professional witness, in effect an early Solicitor, the name deriving from the Olde French "Attester" - one who testifies or vouches for a contract or agreement.
TubbEnglish Derived from the Middle English given names Tubbe and Tubbi, themselves possibly diminutives of Old Norse Þórbjǫrn (see Thorburn)... [more]
TuffinEnglish (Archaic), Anglo-Norman Tuffin is a surname that was brought to England in the Norman Conquest of 1066. It comes from the medieval female given name Tiffania, that comes from the Greek Theophania, composed of the elements theos, meaning God and phainein meaning to appear... [more]
TulipEnglish Habitational name for a person who lived in an area abundant with tulips.
TumberEnglish English: habitational name from any of the various places so called from their situation on a stream with this name. Humber is a common prehistoric river name, of uncertain origin and meaning.
TumbrellEnglish (Rare, Archaic) Etymology uncertain. Possibly derived from Old English tumbrel, a kind of small, two-wheeled cart designed to be easily tipped over, or from a variant form of timbrel, a percussion instrument similar to a tambourine.
TungateEnglish habitational name from Tungate a minor place near North Walsham named from Old English tun "farmstead estate" and Old Norse gata or Old English gæt "way path road street gate".
TunnardEnglish Means "town herd", from Old English tun "town, enclosure, yard" and heord "a herd", an occupational name for someone who guarded the town’s cattle.
TunstallEnglish Habitational name for someone from any of the various locations in England named Tunstall, derived from Old English tun meaning "enclosure, garden, farm" and steall meaning "position, place, site".
TuppenEnglish It comes from people who shepherds. The word tup refers to a male sheep, and pen comes from where the sheep were kept. Tupping is a word used to refer to the mating of sheep and may also be related.
TurnbowEnglish, German (Americanized) Americanized spelling of German Dürnbach, from a habitational name from any of several places so named or from places in Austria and Bavaria named Dürrenbach (meaning "dry stream").
TurneyEnglish, Norman Habitational name from places in France called Tournai, Tournay, or Tourny. All named with the pre-Roman personal name Turnus and the locative suffix -acum.
TurpinEnglish From an Anglo-Norman French form of the Old Norse personal name þórfinnr, composed of the elements Þórr, the name of the god of thunder in Scandinavian mythology.
TurrentineAmerican Origin unidentified (Dictionary of American Family Names: '1881 census has 0, Not in RW, EML'), perhaps from the Italian surname Tarantino.
TurtonEnglish From Turton, an historical area in Lancashire, England (now part of Greater Manchester); it was originally a township in the former civil parish of Bolton le Moors. It is derived from the Old Norse given name Þórr (see Thor) and Old English tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town"... [more]
TuttleEnglish, English (American), Irish Derived from the Old Norse given name Þorkell, derived from the elements þórr (see Thor) and ketill "cauldron". The name evolved into Thurkill and Thirkill in England and came into use as a given name in the Middle Ages... [more]
TwainAmerican Most famously borne in the pen name of American author and one time Mississippi riverboat pilot Mark Twain (1835-1910), whose real name is Samuel Langhorne Clemens... [more]
TwineEnglish Metonymic occupational name for a maker of string or thread, and derived from Old English twin meaning "thread, string".
TwinerEnglish Occupational name for a maker of thread or twine; an agent derivative of Old English twinen meaning "to twine".
TwiningEnglish From the name of the village of Twyning in Gloucestershire, derived from Old English betweonan meaning "between" and eam meaning "river".
TwocockEnglish Twocock literally translates to "twin cocks" and was likely given to someone who was perceived to have a fierce or aggressive personality, like a rooster.
TwyfordEnglish English habitational name from any of the numerous places named Twyford, for example in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Derbyshire, Hampshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Middlesex, and Norfolk, from Old English twi- ‘double’ + ford ‘ford’.
TysoeEnglish Denoted the bearer was from the parish of Tysoe, Warwickshire, England. The name of the parish is derived from Old English Tīges hōh, meaning "spur of land belonging to the god Tiw." (Tiw was the Old English name for the Roman deity Mars, and also inspired the name of Tuesday.)
UdomEnglish English: nickname for someone who had done well for himself by marrying the daughter of a prominent figure in the local community, from Middle English odam ‘son-in-law’ (Old English āðum).
UmplebyEnglish Originally given to people from the village of Anlaby in East Yorkshire, UK. Written as Umlouebi in the Domesday Book, the place name is from Old Norse given name Óláfr + býr, "farmstead" or "village".
UnthankEnglish From a place name meaning "squatter's holding" from Old English unthanc (literally "without consent").
UnwinEnglish From the Old English male personal name Hūnwine, literally "bearcub-friend" (later confused with Old English unwine "enemy"). Bearers include British publisher Sir Stanley Unwin (1885-1968) and "Professor" Stanley Unwin (1911-2002), South African-born British purveyor of comical nonsense language.
UpchurchEnglish habitational name from a place called as "the high church" or possibly the higher of two churches from Middle English up "up high higher" and chirche "church" (Old English upp and cirice)... [more]
UpshawEnglish Probably a habitational name from a lost or unidentified place named with Old English upp meaning "up(per)" and sc(e)aga meaning "copse", or a topographic name with the same meaning.
UpsherEnglish This Anglo-Saxon surname means “of Upshire” and refers to someone from the hamlet Upshire in County Essex.
UpshurEnglish Most probably an altered spelling of English Upshire, a habitational name from Upshire in Essex, named with Old English upp "up" and scir "district". Alternatively, it may be a variant of Upshaw.
UseltonEnglish Perhaps a variant of Osselton, a habitational name from a lost or unidentified place, probably in northeastern England, where this name is most common.
UsherEnglish Occupational name from Middle English usher, meaning "usher, doorkeeper".
UsryEnglish Variant of Ussery. It comes from a nickname given to a bear-like person.
ValeEnglish Topographic name for someone who lived in a valley, Middle English vale (Old French val, from Latin vallis). The surname is now also common in Ireland, where it has been Gaelicized as de Bhál.
ValenEnglish, Scottish English and Scottish: from a medieval personal name, Latin Valentinus, a derivative of Valens (see also Valente), which was never common in England, but is occasionally found from the end of the 12th century, probably as the result of French influence... [more]
VallanceEnglish Means "person from Valence", southeastern France (probably "place of the brave").
ValletFrench, English French topographic name from a diminutive of Old French val "valley" (see Val ) or a habitational name from (Le) Vallet the name of several places mainly in the northern part of France and French and English occupational name for a manservant from Old French and Middle English vallet "manservant groom".
ValleyEnglish Topographic name for someone who lived in a valley, Middle English valeye.
VarnellEnglish Variant of Farnell. This form originated in southwestern England, where the change from F to V arose from the voicing of F that was characteristic of this area in Middle English.
VarneyEnglish From the French place name Vernay, derived from Gaulish verno- "alder" and the locative suffix -acum. A fictional bearer is the vampire Sir Francis Varney, the title character of the mid-19th-century gothic horror story Varney the Vampire; or, the Feast of Blood.
VaseyEnglish Derived from the Norman french word enveisie "playful, merry"
VassEnglish Status name denoting a serf, Middle English, Old French vass(e), from Late Latin vassus, of Celtic origin. Compare Welsh gwas "boy", Gaelic foss "servant".
VassarFrench, English Name indicating the status of "a vassal or serf" in feudal society.
VentrisEnglish Probably from a medieval nickname for a bold or slightly reckless person (from a reduced form of Middle English aventurous "venturesome"). It was borne by British architect and scholar Michael Ventris (1922-1956), decipherer of the Mycenaean Greek Linear B script.
VerdierFrench, Norman, English Occupational name for a forester. Derived from Old French verdier (from Late Latin viridarius, a derivative of viridis "green"). Also an occupational name for someone working in a garden or orchard, or a topographic name for someone living near one... [more]
VermillionEnglish Differential spelling of Vermilion. Meaning of the name is a red pigment derived from Mercury Sulfide (cinnabar). The name originally was developed because of the dyes similar color to the natural dye developed with the insect Kermes Vermilio.
VerneFrench, English As a French surname refers to someone who lived where alder trees grew. While the English version can mean someone who lived where ferns grew, Verne can also mean a seller of ferns which in medieval times were used in bedding, as floor coverings and as animal feed.
VerneyEnglish, French The surname Verney was first found in Buckinghamshire, England, when they arrived from Vernai, a parish in the arrondissement of Bayeux in Normandy.
VeseyAmerican Famous bearer is Denmark Vesey (1767-1822).
VialEnglish, French from a personal name derived from Latin Vitalis (see Vitale). The name became common in England after the Norman Conquest both in its learned form Vitalis and in the northern French form Viel.
VicaryEnglish (British) There are a number of theories as to the origins of the name, Spanish sailors shipwrecked after the Armada and French Huguenots fleeing the Revolution are two of the more romantic ones. It is more likely to have come as someone associated with the church - the vicar, who carried out the pastoral duties on behalf of the absentee holder of a benefice... [more]
ViceEnglish May come from "devise", an Old French word that means "dweller at the boundary". It may also derive a number of place names in England, or be a variant of Vise.
VidlerEnglish Either (i) from a medieval nickname based on Anglo-Norman vis de leu, literally "wolf-face"; or (ii) "violinist, fiddle player" (cf. Fiedler).