Twentyman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Twentyman

What does the name Twentyman mean?

The name Twentyman is thought to have been derived from someone who was "in command of twenty men," from the Old English "twentig" + "mann." 1

"At Vale Royal in 1278, Carnarvon in 1282, and Harlech in 1286, the labourers were organized on a semi-military basis under vintenarii, though judging from their numbers the gangs must have been considerably more than the 20 implied by the title." 1

Early Origins of the Twentyman family

The surname Twentyman was first found in Essex where Thomas Twentyman was recorded in 1662. 1

Early History of the Twentyman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Twentyman research. Another 99 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1487 and 1861 are included under the topic Early Twentyman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Twentyman Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Twentyman are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Twentyman include Twentyman, Twentiman, Twintyman, Twintiman and others.

Early Notables of the Twentyman family

the Twentyman family of London

Twentyman migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Twentyman or a variant listed above:

Twentyman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Twentyman, who landed in New York in 1845 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Twentyman (post 1700) +

Lawrence Holme Twentyman (1783-1852), English-born, prominent Silversmith in Cape Town, South Africa
William Holme Twentyman (1802-1884), English-born, silversmith in Cape Town who made a considerable fortune on Mauritius and retired at the age of 39, creator of a sealed case for a pocket watch to be worn under water
Geoffrey "Geoff" Twentyman (b. 1959), English Drivetime show announcer on BBC Radio Bristol and former professional footballer
Richard "Alfred" Twentyman (1903-1979), English architect, known for his work in Wolverhampton
Geoff Twentyman (1930-2004), English footballer
Leslie Jack "Les" Twentyman OAM (1948-2024), Australian youth outreach worker, community activist and footballer in the western suburbs of Melbourne.
Percy Sydney Twentyman -Jones (1876-1954), South African sportsman who played one Test in 1902, and international rugby union in three Tests in 1896
Collier Twentyman Smithers (1867-1943), British portrait, figure and rustic painter

Sources +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)