Tollett History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Tollett is one of the many new names that came to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Tollett comes from the Norman given name Tollet. "Tollei and Tolli are modern Norwegian forms of the Old Norse Thorleik-r = Thor’s Sport or Contest." 1

Early Origins of the Tollett family

The surname Tollett was first found in Staffordshire where they held a family seat, some say from about the 12th century. The name was derived from Tollet, a Norman noble who entered England after the Norman Conquest in 1066. The earliest recorded instance of the name appears to be of Walter Tulet in the 1219 in the Pipe Rolls for Northumberland. Other early references show Robert Tuylet in 1295 in Cornwall, and Robert Tuliet in 1361 in the Feet of Fines for Essex. 2

"Henry Tullet and Gilian his wife in Kent, and Robert Tulleyt in Wiltshire, c. 1272 (Hundredorum Rolls). John Tolet is mentioned about 1380 in the county of Durham. Bernard Tulet held of Sir John de Baliol at Byvvell in Northumberland 1268." 3

Other Hundredorum Rolls records include: Toly Museye, Lincolnshire; Douce Toly, Cambridgeshire; Tholy Oldcorn, Cambridgeshire; and Stephen Toli, Cambridgeshire. 4

"In the reign of Elizabeth, Mr. George Tolley owned extensive house property in Evesham, [Worcestershire]. The name was represented in the parish of Upton Snodsbury a century ago. Toly was a common name in Cambridgeshire in the reign of Edward I. " 5

Early History of the Tollett family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tollett research. Another 106 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1674, 1694, 1701, 1718, 1719, 1741, 1754 and 1771 are included under the topic Early Tollett History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tollett Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Tollet, Tolle, Tolley, Tolly, Tollie, Tollye, Tulet, Tullet and many more.

Early Notables of the Tollett family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Jethro Tull (1674-1741), an English agricultural pioneer born in Basildon, Berkshire who helped bring about the British Agricultural Revolution, he perfected a horse-drawn seed drill in 1701 that economically sowed the seeds in neat rows, eponym of the British...
Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tollett Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tollett Ranking

In the United States, the name Tollett is the 17,519^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6

Tollett migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Tollett or a variant listed above:

Tollett Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Wesley Tollett, who arrived in Texas in 1836 7

Tollett Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Thomas Tollett, aged 36, who landed in America from London, England, in 1913
John Tollett, aged 36, who landed in America, in 1917
Geo Frwk Tollett, who settled in America, in 1919
Majorie Tollett, who immigrated to the United States from Kent, England, in 1923
Maria Manning Tollett, aged 45, who settled in America from Liverpool, England, in 1923
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Tollett (post 1700) +

Jeffrey S. Tollett, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Oklahoma 6th District, 1994 8
Carlisle Tollett, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Tennessee, 1952 8
Lisa Gayle Tollett Milligan (b. 1977), American beauty queen from Tennessee
Tulsen Tollett (b. 1973), Australian ex-professional rugby league player

The Tollett 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: Prudentia in adversis
Motto Translation: Prudence in adversity.

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
"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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, October 21) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html