Tonnies History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The German surname Tonnies 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 Tonnies, thus, comes about as a patronymic, a surname derived from the personal name of the father.

Early Origins of the Tonnies family

The surname Tonnies was first found in Westphalia and the Lower Rhineland, where the name Tonnies 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 Tonnies family

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

Tonnies 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 Tonnies family

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

Tonnies migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Tonnies Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Ernst Tonnies, who arrived in Texas in 1845 1
Heinr Friedr Christ Tonnies, who landed in Texas in 1845 1
Mrs. Wilhme. Tonnies, (nee Ebler), German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Anna"
Hein. Tonnies, who arrived in Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Anna"
Louise Tonnies, who arrived in New York in 1866
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Tonnies (post 1700) +

Ferdinand Tönnies (1855-1936), influential German sociologist and political scientist

Citations +

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)