Tuers History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Wales
• Ireland

Etymology of Tuers

The name Tuers can be traced to the ancient Celtic culture of Wales. The surname Tuers is derived from the Welsh word "tew," which means "portly" or "plump," and was most likely originally a nickname for a heavy-set person.

Early Origins of the Tuers family

Early History of the Tuers family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tuers research. Another 34 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1650, 1654, 1695, 1714, 1715 and 1718 are included under the topic Early Tuers History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tuers Spelling Variations

There are relatively few surnames native to Wales, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. Early variations of Welsh surnames can be explained by the fact that very few people in the early Middle Ages were literate. Priests and the few other literate people were responsible for recording names in official documents. And because most people could not specific how to properly record their names it was up to the individual recorder of that time to determine how a spoken name should be recorded. Variations due to the imprecise or improper recording of a name continued later in history when names originally composed in the Brythonic Celtic, language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, were transliterated into English. Welsh names that were documented in English often changed dramatically since the native language of Wales, which was highly inflected, did not copy well. Occasionally, however, spelling variations were carried out according to an individual's specific design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations could be indicated by minor variations. The spelling variations of the name Tuers have included Tew, Tews, Tewell, Tewel, Tuel, Tuell and others.

Early Notables of the Tuers family

John Tew of Cardigan; Henry Tew (1654-1718), early American 16th Deputy Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (1714-1715); and Thomas Tew (c. 1650-1695), American pirate who gained notoriety in the Red Sea, in the Caribbean, and in Africa where he was involved...
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tuers Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Tuers family to Ireland

Some of the Tuers family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Tuers family

During the latter half of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, the people of Wales journeyed to North America to find a new life. They made major contributions to the arts, industry and commerce of both Canada and the United States, and added a rich cultural heritage to their newly adopted societies. A look at the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Tuers: Richard Tew, who settled in Newport R.I. in 1641; John Tew, who came to Virginia in 1650; Charles Tew, who came to Maryland in 1760; William Tewell was on record in St. Mary’s County, Maryland in 1714.