Tefan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England
• Ireland

Etymology of Tefan

The Tefan surname comes form the Old French word "tenche," which was a type of freshwater fish; as such it is thought to have evolved from a nickname. 1

Early Origins of the Tefan family

Early History of the Tefan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tefan research. Another 142 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1550, 1599, 1600, 1618, 1621, 1628, 1640, 1670, 1675, 1690, 1712 and 1715 are included under the topic Early Tefan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tefan 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 Tefan include Tench, Tenche, Tenches, Tenge, Tange, Tanch and others.

Early Notables of the Tefan family

Henry Teonge (1621-1690), English chaplain in the Navy and diarist, a native of Wolverton, Warwickshire, son of George Teonge. "Previous to 1670 he was rector of Alcester. On 7 June 1670 he was presented to the living of Spernall...
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tefan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Tefan family to Ireland

Some of the Tefan family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Tefan 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: William Tench who settled in Plymouth Massachusetts in 1621; one year after the "Mayflower"; Edward Tenches settled in Virginia in 1637; Francis Tange settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1810.