Talon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Cornwall, one of the original six "Celtic nations" is the homeland to the surname Talon. A revival of the Cornish language which began in the 9th century AD has begun. No doubt this was the language spoken by distant forebears of the Talon family. Though surnames became common during medieval times, English people were formerly known only by a single name. The way in which hereditary surnames were adopted in medieval England is fascinating. Many Cornish surnames appear to be topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees, many are actually habitation surnames. The name Talon is a local type of surname and the Talon family lived in the parish of Talland in the county of Cornwall. 1 2

Early Origins of the Talon family

The surname Talon was first found in East Cornwall at Talland, a parish, in the union of Liskeard, hundred of West. 3

Early History of the Talon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Talon research. Another 39 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1150, 1160, 1180, 1619, 1642, 1663, 1685 and 1708 are included under the topic Early Talon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Talon Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and 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 of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Tallent, Talent, Tallen, Tallon, Tallant, Talant and others.

Early Notables of the Talon family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Francis Tallents (1619-1708), non-conforming English Presbyterian clergyman from North Wingfield, Derbyshire, who was under suspicion after Monmouth's rebellion in 1685, having to lodge...
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Talon Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Talon Ranking

In France, the name Talon is the 1,724^th most popular surname with an estimated 3,511 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Talon family to Ireland

Some of the Talon family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Talon migration to Canada +

An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Talon or a variant listed above:

Talon Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Lucien Talon, who arrived in Canada in 1671

Contemporary Notables of the name Talon (post 1700) +

Bernard Talon (1930-2022), French politician, member of the Rally for the Republic, he served in the Senate from 1971 to 1980

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/