Show ContentsTouvie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Touvie was carried to England in the enormous movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. It comes from the Norman personal name Tofig.

Early Origins of the Touvie family

The surname Touvie was first found in Norfolk where they held a family seat from early times. "Tovus, otherwise known as Tovi, came to England with the Conqueror, and acquired several manors in Norfolk. The name is found in [the] Domesday [Book] as Tovi or Tovius." 1

Michael Tovy was Lord Mayor of London (1244-1245.)

Early History of the Touvie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Touvie research. Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1692 and 1745 are included under the topic Early Touvie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Touvie Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Tovey, Tovy and others.

Early Notables of the Touvie family

Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Touvie Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Touvie family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Touvie or a variant listed above were: Benjamin and Richard Tovey settled in Barbados in 1679 with their servants; Nathanial and John Tovey settled in Virginia in 1663.



  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.


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