Show ContentsThorlow History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Thorlow Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Thorlow

What does the name Thorlow mean?

Thorlow is one of the many names that the Normans brought with them when they conquered England in 1066. The Thorlow family lived in Suffolk, at Thurlow which was in turn derived from the Old English word tryohlaw, meaning dweller by the hill.

Early Origins of the Thorlow family

The surname Thorlow was first found in Suffolk where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Thurlow. Conjecturally, they are descended from Godric, the holder of the King's lands of Great and Little Thurlow at the time of the taking of the Domesday Book in 1086, a census initiated by King William, Duke of Normandy after his conquest of England in 1066. The village at that time consisted of a Church and 33 goats. Today Little Thurlow is a village and civil parish in the St Edmundsbury district and has a population of about 230 as of 2005.

One of the first records of the family was John de Thorlow, Throwklow or Trokelowe (fl. 1330), an early English chronicler and monk of St. Albans. A monk of that name was also in the priory of Tynemouth, Northumberland. 1

Early History of the Thorlow family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Thorlow research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1616, 1668, 1775 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Thorlow History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Thorlow Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Thurlow, Thurlough, Thurlowe, Thurloe, Thurlo, Thurlows, Thurles and many more.

Early Notables of the Thorlow family

Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Thorlow Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Thorlow family to Ireland

Some of the Thorlow family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 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 Thorlow family

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Thorlow name or one of its variants: Abram Thurlo who settled in New Orleans La. in 1821.

The Thorlow Motto+

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Justitiae soror fides
Motto Translation: Fidelity is the sister of justice.
  1. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print

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