Show ContentsThrockmorton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Throckmorton is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived in Throckmorton (Throckmorten) in Worcestershire. The village dates back to 1176 when it was first listed as Trochemerton and possibly meant "farmstead by a pool with a beam bridge," from the Old English words "troc" + "mere" + "tun." 1

Early Origins of the Throckmorton family

The surname Throckmorton was first found in Worcestershire at Throckmorton, a chapelry, in the parish of Fladbury, union of Pershore, Middle division of the hundred of Oswaldslow "where John de Trockemerton, the supposed ancestor of this family, was living about the year 1200. From this John descended, after many generations, another 'John Throkmerton,' who was according to Leland, 'the first settler up of his name to any worship in Throckmerton village." 2

Some of the family held estates at Weston-Underwood in Buckinghamshire in early times. " In the parish is an ancient [family] seat, now uninhabited, of the Throckmorton family, who have also a neat Roman Catholic chapel here, with a handsome residence for the priest." 3

Early History of the Throckmorton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Throckmorton research. Another 79 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1445, 1450, 1515, 1554, 1571, 1579, 1584, 1606, 1628, 1630, 1656, 1658, 1663, 1664, 1681 and 1682 are included under the topic Early Throckmorton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Throckmorton Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Throckmorton family name include Throckmorton, Throgmortond, Throggmorton and many more.

Early Notables of the Throckmorton family

Notables of the family at this time include

  • Sir John Throckmorton or Throgmorton (d. 1445), Under-Treasurer of England, the son of Thomas Throgmorton of Fladbury, Worcestershire
  • Sir Nicholas Throckmorton, (c.1515-1571), English diplomat and politician
  • Francis Throckmorton (1554-1584), nephew of Sir Nicholas and a conspirator against Queen Elizabeth
  • Sir William Throckmorton, 1st Baronet of Tortworth (c. 1579-1628)
  • Sir Baynham Throckmorton, 2nd Baronet (1606-1664), of Clearwell, Gloucestershire, English politician who supported the Royalist cause during the English Civil War
  • Sir Baynham Throckmorton, 3rd Baronet of Tortworth (c. 1628-c. 1681)
  • Sir William Throckmorton, 4th Baronet of Tortworth (1658-1682)

Throckmorton Ranking

In the United States, the name Throckmorton is the 9,621st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4


United States Throckmorton migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Throckmorton surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Throckmorton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Mrs. Rebecca Throckmorton, who landed in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Lyon"
  • George Throckmorton, who landed in New England in 1631 5
  • John Throckmorton (1601–1684), English settler of Providence who sailed aboard the Lyon as a freeman in 1631, eponym of Throggs Neck, New York City
  • Miss Patience Throckmorton, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1631 aboard the ship "Lyon" 6
  • Robert Throckmorton, who landed in Virginia in 1637 5
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Throckmorton Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Gabriel Throckmorton, who arrived in Virginia in 1737 5
  • Robert Throckmorton, who arrived in Mississippi in 1798 5
  • Mordecous Throckmorton, who landed in Mississippi in 1799 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Throckmorton (post 1700) +

  • Miranda Nicole Throckmorton (b. 1992), American sprint car driver
  • Harold A. Throckmorton (1897-1958), American tennis player who played at the 1917 US Championships
  • General John Lathrop Throckmorton (1913-1986), American Assistant Commanding General, 101st Airborne Division (1959 to 1960)
  • Joseph Throckmorton (1800-1872), American steamboat builder and captain
  • Dr. William Edward Throckmorton (1795-1843), American settler to Texas, eponym of Throckmorton County
  • Peter Throckmorton (b. 1990), American journalist and underwater archaeologist, founding member of the Sea Research Society
  • Tom Bentley Throckmorton (1885-1961), American neurologist, best known for for describing Throckmorton's reflex
  • James Fron "Sonny" Throckmorton (b. 1941), American country music singer and songwriter
  • James W Throckmorton (1825-1894), American politician, 12th Governor of Texas, U.S. Representative, Texas Senator
  • Sir Robert George Throckmorton (1800-1862), 8th Baronet, an English Whig and Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1831 to 1835


The Throckmorton Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Virtus sola nobilitas
Motto Translation: Virtue is the only nobility.


  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
  3. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  6. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm


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