Show ContentsTons History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The German surname Tons originated as a short form of the Roman name Antonius (the English Anthony.) It is the name of two major Christian saints, St. Anthony (ca.250-350,) who was the father of Christian monasticism, and Anthony of Padua (1195-1231), the Franciscan monk, who became the patron saint of Padua and Portugal. In granting their children holy names, medieval parents sought to reaffirm their Christian beliefs and to secure protection from the namesake. The name Tönsing is a Low German diminutive of the name Antonius, and Tönnies is a short form, as in Tönnies Alberdes, recorded in Lippe in 1571. Other German variants include Don, Ton, Thon and Dohn. The surname Tons, thus, comes about as a patronymic, a surname derived from the personal name of the father.

Early Origins of the Tons family

The surname Tons was first found in Westphalia and the Lower Rhineland, where the name Tons emerged in medieval times as one of the notable families of the region. From the 13th century the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the nation. The earliest mentions of the surname are Heinz Ton, who was recorded in Immenstaad in 1423, and Johann Tonsing, who was recorded in the area of Osnabröck in 1649.

Early History of the Tons family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tons research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tons History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tons Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Tönnies, Tönies, Töns, Tönniges, Toenniges, Tuns, Tönsing, Tönsen, Tönnsen, Tönjes, Tönsmann, Tönsmeyer, Tönnissen, Thon, Thons, Thonissen and many more.

Early Notables of the Tons family

More information is included under the topic Early Tons Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Tons migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Tons Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Rieneldt Tons, who took the Oath of Allegiance in Pennsylvania in 1793
  • Rieneldt Tons, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1793 1
Tons Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Lucas Tons, who landed in America in 1836 1
  • Marianne Tons, who arrived in America in 1842 1
  • Joh Georg Jos Tons, who landed in America in 1847 1
  • Helene Tons, who arrived in New York in 1850
  • Hinrich Tons was naturalized in Scott County Iowa in 1871


  1. 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)


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