The
Anglo-Saxon name Towgoold comes from the baptismal name
Thurgod, an ancient font name. After the
Norman Conquest, the Old English naming system gradually dissolved. Old English names became less common and were replaced by popular continental European names. The earliest surnames in
England were found shortly after the
Norman Conquest and are of Norman French rather than native English origins.
Early Origins of the Towgoold family
The surname Towgoold was first found in
Hertfordshire where they were descended from Turgod, "a Domesday [Book] baptismal appellation"
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print. and the name has often been confounded with Toogood.
Early History of the Towgoold family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Towgoold research.
Another 127 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1595, 1683, 1667 and 1683 are included under the topic Early Towgoold History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Towgoold Spelling Variations
Before the last few
hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason,
spelling variations are commonly found in early
Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Towgoold were recorded, including Thoroughgood, Throwgrood, Thorowgood, Thorogood, Toogood and many more.
Early Notables of the Towgoold family (pre 1700)
Another 22 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Towgoold Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Towgoold family to the New World and Oceana
To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from
England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Towgoold family emigrate to North America: Richard Throughtgood settled in Virginia in 1630; Dan Thoroughgood settled in Virginia in 1635; along with Sara and Thomas, followed by Mary in 1638; and Elin in 1651.