Tidy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Wales

The Welsh name Tidy comes from the personal name Tudur, an ancient Celtic name of unknown meaning. It is thought that the name, especially the form Tewdwr, may have also emerged as a Welsh version of the Latin Theodorus.

Early Origins of the Tidy family

The surname Tidy was first found in Herefordshire, where Tudor Trevor was Lord of Hereford, Whittington, and both Maelors. He was founder of the Tribe of the Marches, born in Denbigh, son of Ynyr Ap Cadforch, whose descendants intermarried with the distinguished families of North Wales.

Theodore (602?-690), was Archbishop of Canterbury, a native of Tarsus in Cilicia. "He studied at Athens, had a scholarly knowledge of Greek and Latin, and was well versed in sacred and profane literature and in philosophy, which caused him to receive the surname 'Philosopher.' At the time of Theodore's arrival the English church lacked order, administrative organisation, discipline, and culture. " [1]

Early History of the Tidy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tidy research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1400, 1401, 1406, 1411, 1485, 1486, 1499, 1500, 1502 and 1503 are included under the topic Early Tidy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tidy Spelling Variations

Although there are not an extremely large number Welsh surnames, there are an inordinately large number of spelling variations of those surnames. This variety of spellings began almost immediately after the acceptance of surnames within Welsh society. As time progressed, these old Brythonic names were eventually were recorded in English. This process was problematic in that many of the highly inflected sounds of the native language of Wales could not be properly captured in English. Some families, however, did decide to modify their own names to indicate a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even a patriotic affiliation. The name Tidy has seen various spelling variations: Tudor, Tudyr Tuder, Tudar and others.

Early Notables of the Tidy family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Maredydd ap Tudur (Meredith Tudor) (died 1406), Welsh soldier and nobleman from the Tudor family of Penmynydd and Owen Tudor's father, supported the 1400 Welsh uprising of his first cousin Owain Glyndwr, following the demise of Glyndwr's revolt, much of the Tudor family's lands at Penmynydd and elsewhere were forfeited to the English Crown; Rhys ap Tudur (died 1411), a Welsh nobleman and a key figure in the revolt of Owain Glyndwr, held the offices of sheriff and escheator of Anglesey as well as the Forester of Snowdon, outbreak of the...
Another 162 words (12 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tidy Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tidy migration to the United States +

The Welsh migration to North America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries contributed greatly to its rapid development. These migrants were in search of land, work, and freedom. Those Welsh families that survived the long ocean journey were critical to the development of new industries and factories, and to the quick settlement of land. They also added to an ever-growing rich cultural heritage. A search of the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Tidy:

Tidy Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Robert Tidy, who landed in Virginia in 1677 [2]

Tidy migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Tidy Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Tidy, British Convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for life, transported aboard the "Asia" on 20th July 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [3]
Henry Tidy, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Dauntless" in 1840 [4]
Henry Tidy, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Diadem" in 1840 [5]

Contemporary Notables of the name Tidy (post 1700) +

William Edward "Bill" Tidy MBE (1933-2023), British cartoonist, writer and television personality, best known for his comic strips
Charles Meymott Tidy (1843-1892), English sanitary chemist who developed a water analysis method named 'Tidy's process,' the son of William Callender Tidy, M.D., of South Hackney

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th February 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1837
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) DAUNTLESS 1840. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840Dauntless.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The barque DIADEM 1840. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840Diadem.htm