Thwaits History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland/England
Scotland
England

The distinguished surname Thwaits is thought to have emerged in the border region between North England and Scotland. It is derived from the Old Norse "pveit," meaning "meadow, piece of land." Thus, the name originally referred to a "dweller at the meadow." 1

Thwaite as a parish can be found in Norfolk, Suffolk and as Thwaites in Cumberland. 2

Early Origins of the Thwaits family

The surname Thwaits was first found in Norfolk. The earliest known bearer of the name was Ralph del Thweit, who was listed in the Pipe Rolls for 1206. Ralph de Tweit was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of Norfolk in 1221 and later, Alan del Thweit was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301. 3 The name later emerged in the northern county of Yorkshire, borne by a notable family.

Later in Scotland, the Twatt variant was "a surname common to both Orkney and Shetland. The Twatts of Orkney may derive their surname from Twatt in Birsay, and the Twatts of Shetland from Twatt in the parish of Aithsting. John Twatt or Tuait raised an action at law against the rest of the heirs of Twat in 1563, and in 1580 there is recorded a wadset by Magnus Tuait." 4

Early History of the Thwaits family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Thwaits research. Another 165 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1301, 1379, 1435, 1441, 1445, 1446, 1453, 1471, 1478, 1483, 1490, 1493, 1503, 1624, 1638, 1677, 1723, 1740, 1797 and 1824 are included under the topic Early Thwaits History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Thwaits Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Thwaites, Thwaits, Thwaite, Thweat, Thweatt, Thwaytes, Twaite, Twaites, Twaits, Tweats, Thoytes, Thwayte, Threet, Threat and many more.

Early Notables of the Thwaits family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

Robert Thwaits, an English medieval academic administrator, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University (1441-1453) and Chancellor of Oxford University (1445-1446)

Thwaits migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Thwaits Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Alexander Thwaits, aged 20, who landed in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Hopewell" 5
Francis Thwaits, who arrived in Maryland in 1638 5

Thwaits Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Thwaits, who was living in New York in 1865
Albert Thwaits, aged 27, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "SS Denmark" in 1872 6

Thwaits Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Elizabeth Ann Thwaits, aged 58, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Majestic" in 1909 6
Florence Amy Thwaits, aged 40, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Baltic" in 1912 6
Frank Thwaits, aged 20, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Wheaton" in 1920 6
Edna Thwaits, aged 33, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Woodrow Wilson" in 1945 6

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
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)
Ellis Island Search retrieved 9th February 2023. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result