Tison History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancient Normans that arrived in England following the Conquest of 1066 are the initial ancestors from which the many generations of the Tison family have grown. The name Tison was given to a member of the family who was a fiesty or hot-tempered person. The name is a metaphor derived from the Old French word tison meaning fire-brand.

Alternatively the name could have originated from "Tesson or Taisson, the Norman-French for badger." 1

Early Origins of the Tison family

The surname Tison was first found in Northumberland where they held a family seat from early times, where the name originally was Tesson, one of the most powerful families in Normandy seated at Angouleme. Their history is French more than Viking and they distinguished themselves against the Saracens in 725.

They were later seated at Anjou and Raoul Tesson the first Lord of Cingueleiz led 120 knights at Val-Des-Dunes in 1047. Gilbert Tesson, his brother, obtained the barony of Alnwick from King Edward the Confessor, England's Saxon King, and was killed at the Battle of Hastings, fighting on the Saxon side. 2

Early History of the Tison family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tison research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1309, 1651, 1680 and 1708 are included under the topic Early Tison History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tison Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Tison include Tyson, Tesson, Tewson, Tiuson, Tison, Dyson and many more.

Early Notables of the Tison family

Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tison Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tison Ranking

In France, the name Tison is the 690^th most popular surname with an estimated 6,977 people with that name. 3

Tison migration to the United States +

In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Tisons to arrive on North American shores:

Tison Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Scotia Tison, aged 36, who arrived in New York in 1895 aboard the ship "La Champagne" from Havre, France 4

Tison Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Maurice Tison, aged 29, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "La Lorraine" from Le Havre, France 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Tison (post 1700) +

Rear Admiral James C. Tison Jr. (1908-1991), American officer in the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Corps and Environmental Science Services Administration Corps (ESSA Corps)
William Henry Haywood Tison (1822-1882), American Democratic Party politician; Postmaster:Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Mississippi, 1860
Ralph Robert Tison (b. 1925), American politician, Member of South Carolina State Senate from Jasper County, 1925
Joe Tison, American Republican politician, Mayor of Weatherford, Texas, 2000-07:Candidate in primary for Texas State House of Representatives 61st District, 2008
J. Henry Tison, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Mississippi, 1936
Annette Tison (b. 1942), French architect and writer
André Tison (1885-1963), French track and field athlete who competed at the 1906, 1908, 1912 and 1920 Summer Olympics

Citations +

Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result