Show ContentsTingle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Tingle, like many surnames, is occupational in origin, referring to the job that the first bearer did for a living. In this case, it is metonymic, coming not from the name of the occupation itself, but rather from the product made. A tingle is a very small nail, often used in the making of shoes. The first Tingle was most likely someone who made such nails.

Early Origins of the Tingle family

The surname Tingle was first found in Cambridgeshire, where the name first appeared in the early 13th century.

Early History of the Tingle family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tingle research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1205, 1209, 1275, 1683, 1691, 1740, 1744, 1745 and 1755 are included under the topic Early Tingle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tingle Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Tingel, Tingle, Tyngil, Tyngyl, Tingler and many more.

Early Notables of the Tingle family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Edward Tyng, British leading military officer in Maine and was appointed Governor of Acadia during King William's War, taken prisoner in the Naval battle off St. John (1691); and his son, Edward Tyng (1683-1755), a British naval officer, captain of the batteries and fortifications of Boston and in...
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tingle Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tingle Ranking

In the United States, the name Tingle is the 6,833rd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1


United States Tingle migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Tingle Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Tingle, who arrived in Virginia in 1650 2
Tingle Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Charles A Tingle, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Tingle (post 1700) +

  • Robert G. Tingle (b. 1957), American casino pit manager
  • Jimmy Tingle (b. 1955), American comic and occasional actor
  • Commander Scott David Tingle (b. 1965), American Navy test pilot and NASA astronaut candidate 3
  • Robert Gerard Tingle (b. 1957), American Republican politician, Candidate for Rhode Island State House of Representatives 16th District, 1998
  • John R. Tingle, American politician, Mayor of Cambridge, Ohio, 1967
  • J. A. Tingle, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from North Carolina, 1916
  • Edward W. S. Tingle, American politician, U.S. Consul in Brunswick, 1897
  • Sam Tingle (1921-2008), English-born, Rhodesian racing driver
  • John Saxon Tingle (1931-2022), Australian politician, journalist and broadcaster, founder and chairman of the Shooters Party in New South Wales


The Tingle 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: Confido non confundar
Motto Translation: I trust and shall not be confounded.


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. NASA Astronauts Homepage. (Retrieved 2011, January 18) Scott Tingle. Retrieved from http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/tingle.html


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