Town History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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England

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The surname Town is of Anglo-Saxon origin. It is derived from the Old English "tun," which originally meant "fence" or "enclosure," but soon came to mean "enclosure round a house," "homestead," "village," or "town." The name was originally preceded by a preposition, and referred to "one who lived in or at the village or town."

Early Origins of the Town family

The surname Town was first found in Suffolk. The written history of the name dates back as far as 1095, when Wistric Oftun was recorded in the records of the abbey at Bury St. Edmunds. Variations on the surname, such as Abothetoune, atte Tun, and Douninthetune, could also be found in this region at an early date.

Early History of the Town family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Town research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1095, 1275, 1327, 1524, 1583, 1621, 1640, 1650, 1692, 1739 and 1816 are included under the topic Early Town History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Town Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Town, Tune, Toune, Towne, Townes, Towns, Tone, Toon and many more.

Early Notables of the Town family

Notables of the family at this time include

John Towne (c.1583), a British actor, Robert Towne (c.1650), a religious writer, and Francis Towne (1739-1816), a well-known British watercolor painter of landscapes...
Rebecca Towne Nurse (or Nourse) (1621-1692) (née Towne) English-born settler with her family in Salem Village in 1640 was executed for witchcraft by the government of the Province of Massachusetts Bay...

Town Ranking

In the United States, the name Town is the 15,964^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Town migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Town Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Daniel and Edmund Town, who settled in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630
William Town, who landed in Salem, Massachusetts in 1635 2
Thomas Town, who arrived in Maryland in 1665 2
John Town, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1683 2

Town Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Town, who immigrated to Baltimore in 1823
Benjamin Town, who arrived in San Francisco in 1852
James Town, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1861 2

Town migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Town Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Silvenus Town, who landed in Canada in 1834

Town migration to Australia +

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

Town Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Henry Town, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Agamemnon" on April 22, 1820, settling in New South Wales, Australia 3
Mr. James Town, (b. 1796), aged 35, English agricultural labourer who was convicted in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England for 7 years for machine breaking, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 2nd February 1831, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4

Town migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Town Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. James Town, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Euphemus" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 12th February 1857 5
Mr. John Town, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Euphemus" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 12th February 1857 5
Joseph Town, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oliver Lang" in 1858
William Town, aged 30, a bricklayer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Queen of The Age" in 1874
Annie Town, aged 28, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Queen of The Age" in 1874
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Town (post 1700) +

Hiram S. Town (1832-1901), American farmer and politician who served in the Wisconsin State Senate from 1870 to 1871
Ithiel Town (1784-1844), American architect and civil engineer from Thompson, Connecticut
Mr. John Town, British sheriff, held the joint position of Sheriff of Nottingham, England from 1500 to 1501
Neal Town Stephenson (b. 1959), American Hugo Award winning writer known primarily for his science fiction works