Show ContentsTalpay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Talpay is one of the many new names that came to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Talpay family lived in Lincolnshire. Their name, however, is a reference to Taillebois, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Alternatively, the name may be derived from the Old French "taillebosc," meaning "cut wood"; in this case, the name would refer to a wood-cutter. 1

"The surname occurs frequently in Domesday. Ivo Tailgebosch, Lord of Holland, co. Lincoln, married Lucia, sister of the Saxon Earls Edwin and Morcar; and Ralph and Ivo Tailgebosc, Tallebosc, &c., were tenants in Bedfordshire. Other corruptions of this name are Tailboys, Tabois, and Tailbush." 2

Early Origins of the Talpay family

The surname Talpay was first found in Lincolnshire, where "Ivo Tailgebosch, Lord of Holland, married Lucia, sister of the Saxon Earls Edwin and Morcar. " 2

"Ivo Taillebois—evidently a cadet of the same house, was Chamberlain to Robert de Vipont, Lord of Westmorland, in the time of King John, and in 1206 obtained the Royal license to marry the widow of William Bardolph, Elizabeth, daughter and co-heir of William Fitz William, Lord of Cokedale in Northumberland. Among other possessions, he held Hurworth-on-Tees, co. Durham, in her right; and their son again married an heiress. The next, Lucas, Sheriff of Northumberland in 1300, was the grandfather of Henry Tailboys, whose wife Eleanor, daughter and heir of Gilbert de Boroden, brought into the family the lion's share of the great heritage of the Umfrevilles." 3

Early History of the Talpay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Talpay research. Another 204 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1000, 1071, 1080, 1086, 1088, 1091, 1092, 1386, 1417, 1421, 1464, 1467, 1477, 1509, 1513, 1517, 1530, 1570 and 1768 are included under the topic Early Talpay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Talpay Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Tallboys, Tailboys, Tailby, Talpy, Tailbois and many more.

Early Notables of the Talpay family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir William Talboys or Tailboys, Earl of Kyme (d. 1464), born before 1417, son and heir of Walter Tailboys of Kyme in Lincolnshire. "Through the families of Barradon and Umfraville he represented the Kymes, lords of Kyme, and was in the male line a descendant of Ivo de Taillebois, a Norman invader, who received large grants in Lincolnshire from William I. William Tailboys was born before 1417, and...
Another 76 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Talpay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Talpay family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Talpay or a variant listed above were: John Talby, who immigrated to Salem, Massachusetts in 1639; Stephen Talby, who came to Boston in 1658; Mary Talpy and her husband, who settled in Boston, Massachusetts in 1735.



  1. Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. 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


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