Timon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

The ancestors of the Timon 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 Timon is ultimately derived from the personal names Timothy or Thomas. The Gaelic form of the surname Timon is Mac Toimin.

Early Origins of the Timon family

The surname Timon 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 Timon family

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

Timon Spelling Variations

Church officials and medieval scribes often spelled early surnames as they sounded. This practice often resulted in many spelling variations of even a single name. Early versions of the name Timon included: Timmons, Timmins, O'Timmon, O'Timmons, Tymon, McToimin and many more.

Early Notables of the Timon family

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

Timon migration to the United States +

In the mid-19th century, Ireland experienced one of the worst periods in its entire history. During this decade in order to ease the pressure of the soil, which was actually depleted by the effects of the previous years' grain crops, landowners forced tenant farmers and peasants onto tiny plots of land that barely provided the basic sustenance a family required. Conditions were worsened, though, by the population of the country, which was growing fast to roughly eight million. So when the Great Potato Famine of the mid-1840s hit, starvation and diseases decimated the population. Thousands of Irish families left the country for British North America and the United States. The new immigrants were often accommodated either in the opening western frontiers or as cheap unskilled labor in the established centers. In early passenger and immigration lists there are many immigrants bearing the name Timon:

Timon Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Timon, who arrived in Mississippi in 1843 1

Timon migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Timon Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Catherina Timon, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1757
Frederich Timon, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1757
Joseph Timon, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1757

Citations +

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)