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Tonkin History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Tonkin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

While surnames were well-known during the English medieval period, Cornish People originally used only a single name. The way in which hereditary surnames came into common use is interesting. Under the Feudal System of government, surnames evolved and they often reflected life on the manor and in the field. Patronymic surnames were derived from given names and were the predominant type of surname among the Celtic peoples of Britain. However, the people of Cornwall provide a surprising exception to this rule, and patronymic surnames are less common among them than other people of Celtic stock, such as their Welsh neighbors. This type of surname blended perfectly with the prevailing Feudal System. One feature that is occasionally found in Cornish surnames of this type is the suffix -oe or -ow; this is derived from the Cornish plural suffix -ow. is a patronymic surname that came from the ancient Aramaic personal name Teoma, meaning twin.

Early Origins of the Tonkin family

The surname Tonkin was first found in Cornwall where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Tonkin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tonkin research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1652, 1678, 1701, 1702, 1711 and 1742 are included under the topic Early Tonkin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tonkin Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Tonkin, Tonkyn, Tonkeyne, Tonkyne and others.

Early Notables of the Tonkin family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

Admiral Sir Warwick Tonkin
Hugh Tonkin (1652-1711), vice-warden of the Stannaries 1701, High Sheriff of Cornwall in 1702

Tonkin Ranking

In the United States, the name Tonkin is the 13,146^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1] However, in Australia, the name Tonkin is ranked the 662^nd most popular surname with an estimated 5,893 people with that name. [2]

Tonkin migration to the United States +

A search of the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Tonkin:

Tonkin Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Ralph Tonkin, who landed in New England in 1709 [3]

Tonkin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr. John Tonkin, (b. 1808), aged 32, English miner departing from England aboard the ship "Royal Adelaide" arriving in the United States on 21st April 1840 [4]
Mr. Philip Tonkin, (b. 1806), aged 34, English miner departing from England aboard the ship "Royal Adelaide" arriving in the United States on 21st April 1840 [4]
Miss Sophia Tonkin, (b. 1808), aged 32, English settler departing from England aboard the ship "Royal Adelaide" arriving in the United States on 21st April 1840 [4]
Mr. J. Tonkin, (b. 1817), aged 24, Cornish settler departing from Falmouth aboard the ship "Royal Adelaide" arriving in the United States on 25 May 1841 [4]
Mrs. M. Tonkin, (b. 1818), aged 23, Cornish settler departing from Falmouth aboard the ship "Royal Adelaide" arriving in the United States on 25 May 1841 [4]
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Tonkin migration to Australia +

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

Tonkin Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Henry Tonkin, (b. 1806), aged 30 born in Cornwall, Cornwall, UK convicted in Central Criminal Court on 19th September 1836, sentenced for life for stealing from a master, transported aboard the ship "Elphinstone" on 1837 to Van Diemen's Land, Tasmania, Australia [5]
Mr. Henry Tonkin, (b. 1806), aged 31, Cornish footman who was convicted in London, England for life for larceny, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 27th May 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [6]
Mr. Caleb Tonkin, (b. 1804), aged 36, Cornish saddler and harness maker, from Penzance, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Royal Consort" arriving in New South Wales, Australia in November 1840 [7]
Mrs. Susannah Tonkin, (b. 1809), aged 31, Cornish milliner, from Penzance, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Royal Consort" arriving in New South Wales, Australia in November 1840 [7]
Mr. Andrew Tonkin, (b. 1828), aged 12, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Royal Consort" arriving in New South Wales, Australia in November 1840 [7]
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Tonkin Settlers in Australia in the 20th Century

Jessie Tonkin, (b. 1886), aged 26, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Orsova" arriving in Queensland, Australia on 5th February 1912 [8]
Miss Violet Tonkin, (b. 1910), aged 2, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Orsova" arriving in Queensland, Australia on 5th February 1912 [8]
Miss Elizabeth Tonkin, (b. 1911), aged 1, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Orsova" arriving in Queensland, Australia on 5th February 1912 [8]

Tonkin migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Tonkin Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

John Tonkin, aged 34, a bootmaker, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Waitangi" in 1874
Emma Tonkin, aged 33, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Waitangi" in 1874
Jane Tonkin, aged 7, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Waitangi" in 1874
John Tonkin, aged 5, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Waitangi" in 1874
Bessie Tonkin, aged 1, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Waitangi" in 1874
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Tonkin (post 1700) +

Humphrey Tonkin (b. 1939), American professor of English, president emeritus of the University of Hartford
Anthony Tonkin (b. 1980), English professional football player
John Trezise Tonkin AC (1902-1995), Australian politician, Premier of Western Australia (1971 to 1974), eponym of the Tonkin Highway
David Tonkin (1929-2000), Australian politician, Premier of South Australia (1979 to 1982)
Derek Tonkin, British diplomat, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Ambassador to Vietnam
Arthur Raymond Tonkin (1930-2022), Australian politician, Member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia from 1971 to 1987, Minister for Water Resources, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Leader of the House
Shirley Lyford Tonkin OBE (1921-2016), née Curtis, New Zealand pediatrician and sudden infant death syndrome researcher
Phoebe Tonkin (b. 1989), Australian actress and model, best known for portraying Cleo Sertori in H2O: Just Add Water

Historic Events for the Tonkin family +

HMS Repulse

Mr. Percy Tonkin, British Petty Officer Stoker, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and died in the sinking [9]

The Tonkin 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: Kensol tra Tonkein ouna Diu mathern yn
Motto Translation: Before all things, Tonkin, fear God in the king.

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/tasmanian_convicts_cornish.pdf
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 18th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_bounty_nsw.pdf
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_queensland.pdf
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html