Tosh History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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Scotland

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The Tosh surname comes from the Anglicized form of the Gaelic name, Mac an Toisich. Tosh is a patronymic surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Many patronymic surnames were formed by adopting the given name of an ancestor of the bearer, while others came from popular religious names, and from the names of secular heroes. The surname Tosh comes from the Gaelic name Mac an Toisich, which means "son of the chief, leader, or thane." Members of this distinguished Pictish family were originally found in Moray.

Early Origins of the Tosh family

The surname Tosh was first found in Moray (part of the modern region of Grampian). The Tosh family is said to descend from Seach MacDuff, who was awarded the lands of Petty and Breachley in Inverness-shire and was appointed Constable of Inverness Castle for his support of King Malcolm IV in the suppression of a rebellion in Morayshire in 1160. A son of Seach then assumed the name "Mac-an-Toisch," and thus began the Clan MacIntosh.

Early History of the Tosh family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tosh research. Another 424 words (30 lines of text) covering the years 1263, 1314, 1336, 1396, 1411, 1594, 1704, 1715, 1745, 1746, 1833, 1890 and 1957 are included under the topic Early Tosh History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tosh Spelling Variations

Prior to the invention of the printing press in the last hundred years, documents were basically unique. Names were written according to sound, and often appeared differently each time they were recorded. Spelling variations of the name Tosh include Kyntosh, Intosh, Intoch, Toshe, Tosh, McKyntosh, McKintosh, McKintoisch, McKintoch, McIntosh, McComtosh, McKintowse, McIntosh, MacKyntosh, MacIntoch, MacIntosh, McIntoch, Mackintowse, MacKintosh and many more.

Early Notables of the Tosh family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was

William, 7th Chief of Mackintosh, who first acquired Moy, in 1336

Tosh Ranking

In the United States, the name Tosh is the 10,409^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Tosh family to Ireland

Some of the Tosh family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tosh migration to the United States +

The freedom of the North American colonies was enticing, and many Scots left to make the great crossing. It was a long and hard journey, but its reward was a place where there was more land than people and tolerance was far easier to come by. Many of these people came together to fight for a new nation in the American War of Independence, while others remained loyal to the old order as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of Scots in North America have recovered much of this heritage in the 20th century through Clan societies and other such organizations. A search of immigration and passenger lists revealed many important and early immigrants to North America bearing the name of Tosh:

Tosh Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Tosh, who landed in New England in 1652 2

Tosh Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Allen Tosh, who arrived in New York, NY in 1812 2

Tosh migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Tosh Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Jean Tosh, Scottish convict from Perth, who was transported aboard the "Arab" on December 14, 1835, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Tosh (post 1700) +

Daniel Dwight Tosh (b. 1975), American stand-up comedian and television host
Murray Tosh (b. 1950), Scottish Conservative & Unionist politician, Member of the Scottish Parliament for West of Scotland (2003-2007)
George Tosh (1813-1900), Scottish engineer and metallurgist who pioneered the use of steel in steam locomotives, the 2nd Locomotive Superintendent of the Maryport and Carlisle Railway (M&CR), between 1854 and 1870
Stuart Tosh (b. 1951), born Stuart MacIntosh, a Scottish drummer, songwriter and vocalist, known for his work with Pilot, The Alan Parsons Project, 10cc and Camel
Steven William "Steve" Tosh (b. 1973), professional Scottish association footballer
Paul Tosh (1973-2009), Scottish association football player
John A. Tosh, British historian and Professor of History at Roehampton University
Andrew Tosh (b. 1967), born Carlos Andrew McIntosh, Jamaican reggae singer, the son of Peter Tosh
Peter Tosh OM (1944-1987), born Winston Hubert McIntosh, a Jamaican reggae musician, one of the core members of the band The Wailers (1963-1974)
Donald Tosh, British BC screenwriter during the 1960s, bets known for his work on Doctor Who in 1965

The Tosh 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: Touch not the cat bot a glove
Motto Translation: Don't touch the cat without a glove.