Show ContentsTooth History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname Tooth is Anglo-Saxon in origin. It is derived from the Old English "toth," meaning "tooth," and was most likely originally bestowed as a nickname on someone with a prominent tooth or teeth.

Early Origins of the Tooth family

The surname Tooth was first found in London, where Hugo cum dentibus ("Hugo with the tooth") was living in 1102. The nickname origin of the name makes it likely that several branches of the Tooth family emerged independently in different areas during the Middle Ages.

Early History of the Tooth family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tooth research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1102, 1219, 1275, 1660, 1828, 1844, 1854 and 1900 are included under the topic Early Tooth History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tooth Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Tooth, Toothe and others.

Early Notables of the Tooth family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • Arthur Tooth (1828-1900), a British art publisher and dealer, Sir Robert Lucas Tooth, First Baronet (b. 1844), a bank chairman and colonial politician, and Benjamin Rowland Tooth (b. 1854) a prominent...


United States Tooth migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Tooth Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Alester Tooth, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1651 1
  • Alester Tooth, who immigrated to New England in 1652
  • Eliz Tooth, who arrived in Virginia in 1666 1
  • Edmd Tooth, who was granted land in Virginia in 1677
Tooth Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Mary Tooth, who arrived in Maryland in 1732

Canada Tooth migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Tooth Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Robert Tooth, who was recorded in the 1871 census of Ontario

New Zealand Tooth migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Tooth Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Henry Tooth, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Rock City" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 4th June 1855 2
  • Mrs. Tooth, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Rock City" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 4th June 1855 2

West Indies Tooth migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 3
Tooth Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century
  • Joseph Tooth, who settled in Jamaica in 1730

Contemporary Notables of the name Tooth (post 1700) +

  • Chris Tooth, American Art Directors Guild nominated graphic designer, known for his work on Sherlock Holmes (2009), Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and The Wolfman (2010)
  • Helen Ruth Tooth (b. 1916), American author
  • Pauline Tooth (b. 1930), English actress, known for Pantomania: Babes in the Wood (1957) and The Malory Secret (1951)
  • Kathleen Helen Tooth (b. 1916), the first woman to hold the position of medical superintendent at the Sydney Hospital
  • Sarah Tooth (1988-2014), Canadian actress, known for her work on Three Little Pucks (2015)
  • Dr Ron Tooth, Australian founding Principal of the Pullenvale Environmental Education Centre and an applied educational researcher and leader in environmental education
  • Ronald Stanley Tooth (b. 1900), English well-known physician and surgeon from Sussex


The Tooth 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: Perseverantia palman obtinebit
Motto Translation: Perseverance will obtain the reward.


  1. 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)
  2. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies


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