Toffon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Toffon

What does the name Toffon mean?

The name Toffon reached England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Toffon family lived in Hampshire at Tufton, a parish, in the union of Whitchurch, hundred of Wherwell, Kingsclere and N. divisions of the county of Southampton. This place is also known as Tuckington. 1 2

One source notes the place name was derived from the Old English words "toft," meaning "cluster of trees or bushes," and "tun," meaning "enclosure or settlement."

Another source notes the settlement dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, when it was known as Tochiton. In this case, the place name means "estate associated with a man called Toca or Tucca." 3

Early Origins of the Toffon family

The surname Toffon was first found in Sussex, where the family hailed from "Tufton, a manor in the parish of Northiam, [and] is deduced the name of the ancient family of the Earls of Thanet." 4 The name was originally De Toketon and the first of the name is recorded as Elphgege de Toketon about the year 1160. Sir Lewis de Tufton was a Commander of the Army at Cresci.

"It is asserted by several genealogists, that Toketon or Tufton, the locality from which the name was borrowed, is at Rainham in Kent. Rainham was certainly the residence of the family after they forsook their Sussex abode; but the mistake seems to have arisen from the existence of a field of sixteen acres called Tufton's in that parish." 4

"The church [of Hothfield, Kent] is an ancient edifice, containing some old and costly monuments to the Tufton family." 1

Early History of the Toffon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Toffon research. Another 162 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1578, 1584, 1608, 1622, 1626, 1628, 1631, 1638, 1640, 1644, 1648, 1659, 1664, 1679, 1680, 1684, 1688, 1729, 1753, 1849 and 1900 are included under the topic Early Toffon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Toffon Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Tufton, Toughton, Tuffton, Tofton and others.

Early Notables of the Toffon family

Nicholas Tufton, 1st Earl of Thanet (1578-1631) was an English peer who owned Bodiam Castle; Sir Humfrey Tufton, 1st Baronet (1584-1659), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Maidstone (1640-1648); John Tufton, 2nd Earl of Thanet (1608-1664), an English nobleman and supporter of Charles I of England; Nicholas Tufton, 3rd Earl of Thanet (1631-1679), styled Lord Tufton until 1664, an English nobleman, High Sheriff of Westmorland; John Tufton, 4th Earl of Thanet (1638-1680), styled...
Another 73 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Toffon Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Toffon family

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Toffon or a variant listed above: Richard Tuftin who settled in Nevis in 1660; Symon Tufton landed in North America in 1659.

The Toffon 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: Ales volat propriis
Motto Translation: The bird flies to its kind.

Sources +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.