Tarr History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Tarr family

The surname Tarr was first found in Somerset where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the 13th century.

Early History of the Tarr family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tarr research. Another 97 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Tarr History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tarr Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Tarr include Tarr, Terr, Tarre, Terre, Tara, Tarra and others.

Early Notables of the Tarr family

Distinguished members of the family include

the Tarr family of Somerset

Tarr Ranking

In the United States, the name Tarr is the 5,017^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1

Tarr migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Tarr Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Robert Tarr, who landed in Virginia in 1719 2
Henerach Tarr, aged 23, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1742 2

Tarr 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:

Tarr Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

George Tarr, aged 40, a farmer, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mary Ann" in 1842
Elizabeth Tarr, aged 36, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mary Ann" in 1842
Elizabeth Tarr, aged 7, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mary Ann" in 1842
John Tarr, aged 33, a farm labourer, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "London" in 1842
Elizabeth Tarr, aged 27, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "London" in 1842
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Tarr (post 1700) +

Edward Hankins Tarr (1936-2020), American trumpet player and musicologist from Norwich, Connecticut
William H. Tarr, American politician, Member of West Virginia State Senate 1st District, 1877-80, 1893-96 3
Walter L. Tarr, American Republican politician, Member of Ohio State House of Representatives from Hamilton County; Elected 1938 3
Frederick H. Tarr, American Republican politician, Member of Massachusetts State House of Representatives Twenty-First Essex District, 1905; U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts, 1926-33 3
Stuart A. Tarr (1908-1997), American politician, Mayor of Lynn, Massachusetts, 1948-51 3
Christian Tarr (1765-1833), American politician, Representative from Pennsylvania 13th District, 1817-21; Member of Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, 1821-22 3
Campbell Tarr (1819-1879), American Republican politician, Delegate to Virginia Secession Convention, 1861; West Virginia State Treasurer, 1863-67 3
Burton E. Tarr, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Pennsylvania State Senate 32nd District, 1947-50 3
Bruce E. Tarr, American Republican politician, Member of Massachusetts State Senate First Essex & Middlesex District; Elected 2002; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Massachusetts, 2012 3
Frederick H. Tarr (b. 1868), American attorney and politician
... (Another 11 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 27) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html