Towns History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The surname Towns is of Anglo-Saxon origin. It is derived from the Old English "tun," which originally meant "fence" or "enclosure," but soon came to mean "enclosure round a house," "homestead," "village," or "town." The name was originally preceded by a preposition, and referred to "one who lived in or at the village or town."

Early Origins of the Towns family

The surname Towns was first found in Suffolk. The written history of the name dates back as far as 1095, when Wistric Oftun was recorded in the records of the abbey at Bury St. Edmunds. Variations on the surname, such as Abothetoune, atte Tun, and Douninthetune, could also be found in this region at an early date.

Early History of the Towns family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Towns research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1095, 1275, 1327, 1524, 1583, 1621, 1640, 1650, 1692, 1739 and 1816 are included under the topic Early Towns History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Towns Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Town, Tune, Toune, Towne, Townes, Towns, Tone, Toon and many more.

Early Notables of the Towns family

Notables of the family at this time include John Towne (c.1583), a British actor, Robert Towne (c.1650), a religious writer, and Francis Towne (1739-1816), a well-known British watercolor painter of landscapes. Rebecca Towne Nurse (or Nourse) (1621-1692) (née Towne)...
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Towns Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Towns Ranking

In the United States, the name Towns is the 3,580^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1

Towns migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Towns Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Towns, who landed in Virginia in 1719 2

Towns Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

David Towns, who arrived in Texas in 1835 2
M Towns, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 2
Alexander Towns, aged 25, who landed in America from Aberdeen, in 1892
Wm. F.M. Towns, aged 24, who immigrated to the United States, in 1895

Towns Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Walter F. Towns, aged 48, who settled in America, in 1900
Charles Towns, aged 26, who immigrated to the United States from Glasgow, in 1905
James Towns, aged 50, who landed in America from Levenshuline, England, in 1907
Jane S Towns, aged 60, who settled in America from Dundee, Scotland, in 1907
Sarah Ann Towns, aged 52, who immigrated to the United States from Levenshuline, England, in 1907
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Towns migration to Australia +

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

Towns Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Towns, English labourer who was convicted in Suffolk, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" in May 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 3
Mr. William Towns, English convict who was convicted in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the ""Blenheim"" on 24th July 1850, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) and Norfolk Island, Australia 4
Miss Elizabeth Towns, English convict who was convicted in Newcastle Upon Tyne, Northumberland, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Duchess of Northumberland" on 25th November 1852, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Towns (post 1700) +

Morris Towns (b. 1954), former American NFL football offensive tackle
Lester Towns (b. 1977), former American NFL football linebacker
George Washington Bonaparte Towns (1801-1854), American lawyer, legislator, and politician, 39th Governor of Georgia from 1847 to 1851
Forrest Grady "Spec" Towns (1914-1991), American gold medalist track and field athlete at the 1936 Olympic Games
Edolphus Towns (b. 1934), American politician, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York
Darryl Towns (b. 1961), American politician, member of New York State Legislature
Charles B. Towns (1862-1947), American expert on alcoholism and drug addiction who helped draft drug control legislation
Robert Towns (1794-1873), English-born, Australian businessman, pastoralist, and founder of Townsville, Queensland
Colin Towns (b. 1948), English composer and keyboard player
William "Bill" Towns (1936-1993), British car designer
... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 1st March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blenheim
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/duchess-of-northumberland