Show ContentsTailby History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Tailby is a name that was brought to England by the ancestors of the Tailby family when they migrated to the region after the Norman Conquest in 1066. The Tailby family lived in Lincolnshire. Their name, however, is a reference to Taillebois, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Alternatively, the name may be derived from the Old French "taillebosc," meaning "cut wood"; in this case, the name would refer to a wood-cutter. 1

"The surname occurs frequently in Domesday. Ivo Tailgebosch, Lord of Holland, co. Lincoln, married Lucia, sister of the Saxon Earls Edwin and Morcar; and Ralph and Ivo Tailgebosc, Tallebosc, &c., were tenants in Bedfordshire. Other corruptions of this name are Tailboys, Tabois, and Tailbush." 2

Early Origins of the Tailby family

The surname Tailby was first found in Lincolnshire, where "Ivo Tailgebosch, Lord of Holland, married Lucia, sister of the Saxon Earls Edwin and Morcar. " 2

"Ivo Taillebois—evidently a cadet of the same house, was Chamberlain to Robert de Vipont, Lord of Westmorland, in the time of King John, and in 1206 obtained the Royal license to marry the widow of William Bardolph, Elizabeth, daughter and co-heir of William Fitz William, Lord of Cokedale in Northumberland. Among other possessions, he held Hurworth-on-Tees, co. Durham, in her right; and their son again married an heiress. The next, Lucas, Sheriff of Northumberland in 1300, was the grandfather of Henry Tailboys, whose wife Eleanor, daughter and heir of Gilbert de Boroden, brought into the family the lion's share of the great heritage of the Umfrevilles." 3

Early History of the Tailby family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tailby research. Another 204 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1000, 1071, 1080, 1086, 1088, 1091, 1092, 1386, 1417, 1421, 1464, 1467, 1477, 1509, 1513, 1517, 1530, 1570 and 1768 are included under the topic Early Tailby History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tailby 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 Tallboys, Tailboys, Tailby, Talpy, Tailbois and many more.

Early Notables of the Tailby family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir William Talboys or Tailboys, Earl of Kyme (d. 1464), born before 1417, son and heir of Walter Tailboys of Kyme in Lincolnshire. "Through the families of Barradon and Umfraville he represented the Kymes, lords of Kyme, and was in the male line a descendant of Ivo de Taillebois, a Norman invader, who received large grants in Lincolnshire from William I. William Tailboys was born before 1417, and...
Another 76 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tailby Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Tailby family

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 Tailby or a variant listed above: John Talby, who immigrated to Salem, Massachusetts in 1639; Stephen Talby, who came to Boston in 1658; Mary Talpy and her husband, who settled in Boston, Massachusetts in 1735.



  1. Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3


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