Twomey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

While many of Irish names are quite familiar to most, their original Gaelic forms are often forgotten and mysterious. The original Gaelic form of the name Twomey is Ó Tuama.

Early Origins of the Twomey family

The surname Twomey was first found in County Cork (Irish: Corcaigh) the ancient Kingdom of Deis Muin (Desmond), located on the southwest coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where they held a family seat from very ancient times. This ancient family name was descended from Tuaim Snama, an eighth century King of Osraigi, and were presumably of Dalcassian origin. They were descended through Mathghamhain, the brother of Brian Boru. Although this tribe of Toomey held a family seat in Cork in the 14th century, they are believed to be descended from the Dal Cais to the north.

Early History of the Twomey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Twomey research. Another 161 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1478, 1603, 1640, 1653, 1659, 1676, 1702, 1706 and 1730 are included under the topic Early Twomey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Twomey Spelling Variations

Numerous spelling variations were revealed in the search for the origin of the name Twomey family name. Before widespread literacy, a person entrusted the proper documentation of his name to the individual scribe. As a result, a name was often recorded under several different variations during the life of its bearer. Variations found include Toomie, O'Toomie, Twomey, O'Twomey, Twomy, O'Twomy, Twony, Toomey, O'Toomey, Toomy, O'Toomy, Twomie, O'Twomie, Twome, O'Twome, Toomee, O'Toomee, Tome, O'Tome, Thomey, O'Thomey, Thoume, O'Thoume, Thomey, O'Thomey, Tumey, O'Tumey, Tumee and many more.

Early Notables of the Twomey family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was

Sean O'Twomey

Twomey Ranking

In the United States, the name Twomey is the 7,505^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Twomey migration to the United States +

North America received thousands of Irish immigrants from the English-ruled Ireland during the 19th century. Once in the United States or what would become Canada, these immigrants quickly contributed to the ongoing settling and industrialization processes. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. An exhaustive examination of immigrant and passenger lists has shown many early immigrants bearing the surname of Twomey:

Twomey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jeremiah Twomey, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1833
John Twomey, who arrived in Mississippi in 1841 2
William Twomey, who landed in Mississippi in 1847 2
Elizabeth, Michael, and Jerry Twomey who, who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1847

Twomey migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Twomey Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Dennis Twomey, aged 23, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Providence" from Cork, Ireland
John Twomey, aged 36, a farmer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Charlotte" from Cork, Ireland
Eliza Twomey, aged 24, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Charlotte" from Cork, Ireland
Honorah Twomey in King's Cove Parish, Newfoundland in 1838 3

Twomey 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:

Twomey Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Michael Twomey, aged 27, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "La Hogue" in 1874
Johanna Twomey, aged 23, a servant, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "La Hogue" in 1874
Timothy Twomey, aged 22, a smith, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Salisbury" in 1874
Honorah Twomey, aged 21, a servant, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Salisbury" in 1874
Denis Twomey, aged 22, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Zealandia" in 1879
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Twomey (post 1700) +

Michael Twomey (b. 1963), American violinist and composer
Anne Twomey (b. 1951), American stage, film, and television actress
Ann Twomey (b. 1951), American labor union leader
Thomas A. Twomey, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 1st District, 1980 4
Paul Twomey, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Hampshire, 2004; Member, Platform Committee, 2008 4
Jeremiah F. Twomey (b. 1874), American Democratic Party politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Kings County 15th District, 1916-18; Member of New York State Senate 10th District, 1919-44 4
Hannah Twomey, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Jersey, 1996, 2008 4
Frederick L. Twomey (d. 1963), American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Massachusetts, 1924 4
David F. Twomey, American politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly 79th District, 1966 4
Cornelius J. Twomey, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Massachusetts Governor's Council 5th District; Elected 1948 4
... (Another 13 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Twomey 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: Fortis undis et armis
Motto Translation: Waves and strong arms

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html