Tolly History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Tolly is a name that came to England in the 11th century wave of migration that was set off by the Norman Conquest of 1066. Tolly 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 Tolly family

The surname Tolly 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 Tolly family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tolly 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 Tolly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tolly 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 Tolly include Tollet, Tolle, Tolley, Tolly, Tollie, Tollye, Tulet, Tullet and many more.

Early Notables of the Tolly 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 Tolly Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tolly 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 Tollys to arrive on North American shores:

Tolly Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Mr. Tolly, who setled in Georgia in 1738
Michael Tolly, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1747
Mich Vogelfanger Tolly, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1747 6

Tolly migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Tolly Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Frank Tolly, English convict who was convicted in Hereford, Herefordshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 13th July 1822, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
Ann Tolly, English convict from Worcester, who was transported aboard the "Amphitrite" on August 21, 1833, settling in New South Wales, Australia 8
Jane Tolly, aged 44, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Nimroud"

Contemporary Notables of the name Tolly (post 1700) +

Matilda Tolly, American politician, Candidate for Presidential Elector for California, 1972 9

The Tolly 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.
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Amphitrite voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1833 with 99 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/amphitrite/1833
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, October 21) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html