Tetlowe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Tetlowe is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when a family lived in the village of Tetley found in the counties of Lancashire and Cheshire. Tetlowe is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. During the Middle Ages, as society became more complex, individuals needed a way to be distinguishable from others. Toponymic surnames were developed as a result of this need. Various features in the landscape or area were used to distinguish people from one another. In this case the surname Tetlowe was originally derived from the Old English personal name Taeta from the Old Norse word Teitr meaning cheerful and the Old English word leah menaing wood clearing. In this case the original bearers of the surname Tetlowe were named due to their close proximity to Taeta's wood clearing.

Early Origins of the Tetlowe family

The surname Tetlowe was first found in Shropshire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, before and after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

Early History of the Tetlowe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tetlowe research. Another 96 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tetlowe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tetlowe Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Tetlowe family name include Tetley, Tetlow, Tetlaw, Titley and others.

Early Notables of the Tetlowe family

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

Migration of the Tetlowe family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Tetlowe surname or a spelling variation of the name include : Nicholas Tetlow settled in Virginia in 1635; James, John, Thomas, and William Tetlow arrived in Philadelphia between 1860 and 1880.

The Tetlowe 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: Praemium virtutis honor
Motto Translation: Honor is the reward of virtue.