Tissel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

Etymology of Tissel

What does the name Tissel mean?

The ancient name Tissel is derived from the Old English word "twisla," which meant the name derived "from residence near the fork of a river or land in such a fork." 1

Alternatively the name could have been derived from Twizel Castle or Twizell in Northumberland. 1 Twizell Castle survives today as a Grade II listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument standing on a bend of the River Till at Tillmouth Park, Northumberland. Originally a medieval tower house, it was destroyed by a Scottish army in 1496, but was later rebuilt.

Early Origins of the Tissel family

The surname Tissel was first found in Durham, England where Richard Twisle held estates according to the Pipe Rolls of 1196. Later in Staffordshire, Richard de Twysel was recorded in the Assize Rolls for 1272. 1

Some of the family moved from Northumberland to Scotland where records show Agnes Twyzel of Berewyk (Berwick) had her lands restored to her by King Edward 1st after giving him allegiance after his brief conquest of Scotland in 1296. 2

Early History of the Tissel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tissel research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1091, 1272, 1379, 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Tissel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tissel Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Twizel, Twisle, Twissel, Twissle, Twizle, Twizell, Twizel, Twysel, Twysell and many more.

Early Notables of the Tissel family

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

Tissel migration to the United States +

Tissel Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

R Tissel, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 3

Sources +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
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)