Show ContentsTarend History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The origins of the Tarend name come from when the Anglo-Saxon tribes ruled over Britain. The name Tarend was originally derived from a family having lived in in Dorset at one of the eight places that have the prefix Tarrant. They include: Tarrant Crawford; Tarrant Gunville; Tarrant Hinton; Tarrant Keyneston; Tarrant Launceston; Tarrant Monkton; Tarrant Rawston; and Tarrant Rushton. The place name Tarrant is derived from the "Celtic river-name possibly meaning 'the trespasser' and in 'river liable to floods." 1 All of these parishes and villages are in the Blandford union, hundred of Pimperne 2 and are collectively listed in the Domesday Book as Tarente. 3 It seems that in the 13th century the parishes either expanded or separated and accordingly a suffix was needed to distinguish them. In many cases, the suffix was used to denote the families that lived there as in: Tarrant Gunville, home to the Gundeville family; Tarrant Keyneston, home of the Cahaignes family; Tarant Launceston, home to the Lowin family; Tarrant Rawston, home to the Antioch family; and Tarrant Rushton, home to the de Rusceaus family. The one exception was Tarrant Monkton which denoted as 'estate belonging to the monks of Tewkesbury Abbey.' 1

Early Origins of the Tarend family

The surname Tarend was first found in one of the aforementioned villages named Tarrant in Dorset. Some of the first records of the surname include Reginald de Tarenta who was listed in Lancashire in 1190, John de Tarent who was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of Middlesex in 1212 and Ralph Tauraunt who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296. 4 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Abbatissa de Tarento in Dorset in 1273. 5

Early History of the Tarend family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tarend research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1621, 1642, 1646 and 1784 are included under the topic Early Tarend History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tarend Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Tarend include Tarrant, Tarrents, Tarrent, Tarant, Tarent, Tarrat, Tarrett and many more.

Early Notables of the Tarend family

More information is included under the topic Early Tarend Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Tarend family to Ireland

Some of the Tarend family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Tarend family

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: Mr. and Mrs. Francis Tarrant, who sailed to Boston, Massachusetts in 1712; Henry Tarrant to Virginia in 1731; and John Tarrant to America in 1754.



  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  5. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)


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