Show ContentsTarkenton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Tarkenton family

The surname Tarkenton was first found in Cheshire at Torkington, a township, in the parish and union of Stockport, hundred of Macclesfield. 1 Now part of Greater Manchester, the township comprises 670 acres.

Early East Cheshire rolls had the following early entries for the family: Simon de Torkinton, 1225; Robert de Torkinton, 1225; and Thomas de Torkinton, 1357. 2

Early History of the Tarkenton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tarkenton research. Another 50 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1511, 1517, 1883 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Tarkenton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tarkenton Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Torkington, Turkington and others.

Early Notables of the Tarkenton family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir Richard Torkington (fl. 1517), an English priest and pilgrim, presented in 1511 to the rectory of Mulberton in Norfolk by Sir Thomas Boleyn. "In 1517 he went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and of his journey he has left an account. "He started from Rye in...
Another 56 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tarkenton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Tarkenton family to Ireland

Some of the Tarkenton family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Tarkenton family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: John Tarkington, who settled in Baltimore County, Maryland with his wife Prudence, their son John, Jr. and wife Martha, and their son William Joshua; John Torkington settled in Philadelphia in 1856.


Contemporary Notables of the name Tarkenton (post 1700) +

  • James Clinton Tarkenton (1885-1948), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from North Carolina, 1932 3
  • Francis Asbury "Fran" Tarkenton (b. 1940), American football player


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 27) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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