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Timmons History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Timmons History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

The ancestors of the Timmons surname in Ireland are thought to have arrived with or in the wake of the 12th century Anglo/Norman invasion of the Emerald Isle, led by Strongbow. The surname Timmons is ultimately derived from the personal names Timothy or Thomas. The Gaelic form of the surname Timmons is Mac Toimin.

Early Origins of the Timmons family

The surname Timmons was first found in counties Wicklow and Carlow (Irish: Cheatharlach) a small landlocked area located in the province of Leinster in the South East of Ireland, from 1172. Timon of Athens (fl. 431 BC) was a citizen of Athens whose misanthropy grew to legendary status. He was the inspiration for Shakespeare's Timon of Athens (The Life of Tymon of Athens), one of his first tragedies.

Early History of the Timmons family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Timmons research. Another 66 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1172 is included under the topic Early Timmons History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Timmons Spelling Variations

Medieval scribes and church officials spelled the names as they sounded, so a name was often spelled many different ways during the lifetime of a single person. The investigation of the origin of the name Timmons revealed many spelling variations including Timmons, Timmins, O'Timmon, O'Timmons, Tymon, McToimin and many more.

Early Notables of the Timmons family

More information is included under the topic Early Timmons Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Timmons Ranking

In the United States, the name Timmons is the 1,622^nd most popular surname with an estimated 19,896 people with that name. [1]

Timmons migration to the United States +

During the middle of the 19th century, Irish families often experienced extreme poverty and racial discrimination in their own homeland under English rule. Record numbers died of disease and starvation and many others, deciding against such a fate, boarded ships bound for North America. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Unfortunately, many of those Irish that arrived in Canada or the United States still experienced economic and racial discrimination. Although often maligned, these Irish people were essential to the rapid development of these countries because they provided the cheap labor required for the many canals, roads, railways, and other projects required for strong national infrastructures. Eventually the Irish went on to make contributions in the less backbreaking and more intellectual arenas of commerce, education, and the arts. Research early immigration and passenger lists revealed many early immigrants bearing the name Timmons:

Timmons Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Timmons, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1773

Timmons Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Timmons, who landed in New York in 1845 [2]
G H Timmons, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 [2]
Daniel Timmons, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1872 [2]

Timmons migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Timmons Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Lawrence Timmons, who settled in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, in 1822 [3]
Mr. Andrew Timmons, aged 60 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Tay" departing 5th May 1847 from Sligo, Ireland; the ship arrived on 9th June 1847 but he died on board [4]
Mr. John Timmons, aged 11 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Columbia" departing 1st May 1847 from Sligo, Ireland; the ship arrived on 10th June 1847 but he died on board [4]
Mr. John Timmons, aged 45 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Eliza Caroline" departing 3rd May 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 14th June 1847 but he died on board [4]
Mr. Philip Timmons, aged 6 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Columbia" departing 1st May 1847 from Sligo, Ireland; the ship arrived on 10th June 1847 but he died on board [4]

Timmons migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Timmons Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Margaret Timmons, aged 27, a servant, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Douglas" in 1873
Ony Timmons, aged 24, a servant, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Douglas" in 1873

Contemporary Notables of the name Timmons (post 1700) +

Carol A. Timmons (d. 2020), American military officer, Adjutant General of the Delaware National Guard
Stuart Timmons (1957-2017), American gay historian and activist
Osborne Llewellyn "Ozzie" Timmons (b. 1970), American Major League Baseball outfielder who played from 1995 to 2000
Lawrence Olajuwon Timmons (b. 1986), American football linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Jeffrey Brandon Timmons (b. 1973), American pop singer and producer and founding member of the Grammy-nominated pop group 98 Degrees
Charles Truman Timmons (1917-1996), American football fullback in the All-America Football Conference for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1946
Andy Timmons (b. 1963), American guitarist, perhaps best known for his work with the band Danger Danger
Rick Timmons (b. 1957), American painter, known for his paintings of firefighting, portraits, equine art, southwest art and bar murals
Robert Henry "Bobby" Timmons (1935-1974), American jazz pianist and composer, a sideman in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers
Bob Timmons (1902-2004), American college head coach of men's basketball at the University of Pittsburgh
... (Another 18 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 97)