Show ContentsTyne History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Tyne

What does the name Tyne mean?

The vast movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of England of 1066 brought the Tyne family name to the British Isles. They lived in Shropshire. The name, however, is a strange contraction of the phrase of the Inn, resulting from the fact that an early member of the family was the proprietor of such an establishment. "The name is derived from the mansion or inn at Stretton, in the county of Salop, (Shropshire) to which the freehold lands of the family, with various detached copyholds, were attached. " 1

Early Origins of the Tyne family

The surname Tyne was first found in Shropshire where they were Lords of the Manor of Church Stretton. Traditionally, the name was originally Botfield or Botville, and Geoffrey and Oliver Bouteville came into England from a distinguished family in Pictou in France about 1180. 1 2

"The appearance of this name on the Abbey Roll seems sadly at variance with the statement of Matthew Paris, who records that the first of the Botevilles who came to England were two brothers, both of knightly rank, Geoffrey and Oliver Boteville, who brought a body of foreign auxiliaries from Poitou and Gascone, to assist King John against his rebellious barons. Sir Geoffrey, the elder brother, appears to have received a grant of the lands of William D'Albini, Earl of Arundel, at Shelton, in Shropshire, and was constituted Governor of Belvoir Castle. From his grandson, John Botevile, recorded among the knights of Shropshire, present at the siege of Caerlaverock Castle, derived John Botevile, who, from his residence in one of the Inns of Court, acquired the soubriquet of "John of th' Inne," and thence came the surname of Thynne, as now borne by John's descendant, the Marquee of Bath. The Botfeilds, of Hopton Court. co. Salop, and Norton Hall, co. Northampton, who formerly spelt their name Botevile, deduce their line from the old knightly race." 3

Another source confirms the Boteville, Thynne relationship noted above. 2 Ironically the two names which are not phonetically similar which is usually the case became interchangeable, bearing the same history.

Early History of the Tyne family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tyne research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1544, 1546, 1547, 1578, 1601, 1605, 1608, 1610, 1629, 1639, 1640, 1660, 1669, 1670 and 1714 are included under the topic Early Tyne History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tyne Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Botfield, Botville, Boteville, Botfeld, Botevile, Thynne, Tyne, Tine, Tynes, O'Tyne, Thinn, O'Thinn, Thin, Then, Them and many more.

Early Notables of the Tyne family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was William Thynne (d. 1546), editor of Chaucer's works who claimed to have been younger son of John de la Inne. "His family bore the alternative surname of Botfield or Boteville, and he is often called 'Thynne alias Boteville.' " 4 Sir Thomas Thynne (ca. 1578-1639), of Longleat, Wiltshire, was an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1601 and 1629; Sir James...
Another 75 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tyne Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Tyne family to Ireland

Some of the Tyne family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Tyne migration to the United States +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Tyne or a variant listed above:

Tyne Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Nicholas Tyne, aged 24, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1738 5
  • Sarah Tyne who landed in America in 1768
Tyne Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Ramon Tyne, aged 30, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1829 5
  • Mary Tyne, aged 30, who landed in New York in 1854 5

Tyne migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Tyne Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Edmond Tyne, (Edward), (b. 1805), aged 25, Irish ploughman who was convicted in Tipperary, Ireland for life for manslaughter, transported aboard the "Edward" on 17th October 1830, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died 1874 6

Tyne 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:

Tyne Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • W. Tyne, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Wild Duck" in 1865
  • Thomas Tyne, aged 22, a groom, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Douglas" in 1873
  • Johanna Tyne, aged 17, a servant, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Douglas" in 1873
  • Catherine Tyne, aged 19, a servant, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Douglas" in 1873

Contemporary Notables of the name Tyne (post 1700) +

  • Captian Frank William "Billy" Tyne Jr. (1954-1991), age 37, American crew member from Gloucester, Massachusetts of the Andrea Gail, lost during the "Perfect Storm" of 1991; the crew members' plight was inspiration of the 1997 book and a 2000 film adaptation of the same name
  • Claude Halstead Van Tyne (1869-1930), American historian won the Pulitzer Prize for The War of Independence in 1930
  • George Tyne (1917-2008), born Martin Yarus, an American stage and film actor and television director; he was blacklisted in the 1950s, but subsequently acquitted
  • Thomas J. Tyne, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Tennessee, 1928 7
  • Edward "Hone" Tyne, New Zealand rugby footballer who represented New Zealand on the 1907-1908 Great Britain tour


The Tyne 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: J'ai bonne cause
Motto Translation: I have good reason.


  1. Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
  4. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  5. 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)
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th November 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/edward
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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