Tomlay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancient Anglo-Saxon surname Tomlay came from the personal name Thomas. Tomlay is a patronymic surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. This surname came out of the religious given name tradition, and derived from the personal name Thomas, which means twin. Thomas was a popular name, owing to its biblical origins. 1

Early Origins of the Tomlay family

The surname Tomlay was first found in Durham where they were Lords of the manor of Gateshead from ancient times.

By the time of the Edward I (1312-1377), John Tomelyn and John Thomelyn were both listed in Somerset. 2 Later, in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, Robert Thomelynsone and Henricus Thomlynson were listed. 3

Early History of the Tomlay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tomlay research. Another 153 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1617, 1668, 1681, 1748 and 1811 are included under the topic Early Tomlay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tomlay 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 Tomlay family name include Tomlinson, Thomlinson and others.

Early Notables of the Tomlay family

Notables of the family at this time include Matthew Thomlinson or Tomlinson (1617-1681), an English soldier who fought for Parliament in the English Civil War, he was a regicide of Charles I, but escaped punishment at the Restoration...
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tomlay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Tomlay 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 Tomlay surname or a spelling variation of the name include: Edward Tomlinson who settled in Virginia in 1637; along with Joanne, and John; Mathew Tomlinson settled in St. Christopher in 1635; Peter Tomlinson settled in Barbados in 1635.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)