Tiffany History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The ancestors of the Tiffany family first reached the shores of England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. Their name is derived from the medieval female given name Tiffania, that comes from the Greek Theophania, composed of the elements theos, meaning God and phainein meaning to appear. Tiffin translates roughly as the manifestation of God. 1
In a case where a man had a family by a second marriage the children of his second wife would occasionally take her name as a means of distinguishing the two groups.
Early Origins of the Tiffany family
The surname Tiffany was first found in Kent where the single names Theophania, Teffania, Theffanie all appeared in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1206. Later in Devon, Tiphina le Justiser was registered in 1322 and later again, Tiffania was found in Norfolk in 1323. Tiffan and Teffen both appear in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. As a surname, the first record we found as Gilbert Tyffayne in Norfolk in 1288. Later Cristina Typhayn was found in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1327 and later again, William Tyffen was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1524. 2
The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 include Johannes Holand et Tiffan uxor ejus; and Teffan Danyll. 1
Tiffany & Co., the luxury jewelry and specialty company in New York was named and founded in 1837 by Charles Lewis Tiffany (1812-1902), born in Killingly, Connecticut.
Early History of the Tiffany family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tiffany research. Another 128 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1536, 1540, 1632, 1690, 1695, 1750 and 1759 are included under the topic Early Tiffany History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Tiffany Spelling Variations
Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Tiffen, Tiffin, Tiffing, Tiffine and others.
Early Notables of the Tiffany family
More information is included under the topic Early Tiffany Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Tiffany Ranking
In the United States, the name Tiffany is the 6,103rd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 3
Tiffany migration to the United States +
Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Tiffany or a variant listed above:
Tiffany Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Humphrey Tiffany, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1660 4
Tiffany Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Daniel Tiffany, aged 24, who landed in New Castle or Philadelphia in 1804 4
- Joseph Tiffany, aged 30, who landed in Key West, Fla in 1838 4
- George S Tiffany, who arrived in New York in 1851 4
- R J Tiffany, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1855 4
Tiffany migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Tiffany Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
- George T Tiffany, who landed in Canada in 1832
Tiffany migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Tiffany Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Mr. Thomas Tiffany, English convict who was convicted in York, Yorkshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eden" on 30th September 1848, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 5
Contemporary Notables of the name Tiffany (post 1700) +
- Charles Lewis Tiffany (1812-1902), American goldsmith and jeweler who founded Tiffany & Co. in New York City in 1837
- John Kerr Tiffany (1842-1897), early American philatelist
- Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933), American decorative glass and lamp designer famous for his stained glass windows and art glass; son of Charles Lewis Tiffany
- George Tiffany, American politician, Member of New York State Senate Western District, 1802-06 6
- Ernest L. Tiffany, American politician, Prohibition Candidate for New York State Assembly from Chemung County, 1909 6
- Ebenezer Tiffany, American politician, Member of Rhode Island State Senate from Barrington, 1911 6
- Dwight B. Tiffany (b. 1862), American Republican politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Winchester, 1893-94, 1911-12; Member of Connecticut State Senate 31st District, 1919-20 6
- Delbert Tiffany, American politician, Candidate for Michigan State Senate 25th District, 1918 6
- Correll U. Tiffany, American politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Barkhamsted, 1880 6
- Burton Tiffany, American Republican politician, Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from Barkhamsted, 1908, 1910 6
- ... (Another 20 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
The Tiffany 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: Patria fidelis
Motto Translation: A faithful country.
Citations +
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- "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 15th November 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html