Contents [hide]

Tilly History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Tilly History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Tilly

What does the name Tilly mean?

The vast movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of England of 1066 brought the Tilly family name to the British Isles. They lived in Dorset. Their name, however, is a reference to Tilley, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. While many of the family went to England, some remained in Normandy. One of the oldest records of the name found there was Haymon de Tellia listed in Normandy in 960. "Robert de Tilly, and the Castle and Barony of Tilly, Normandy" 1 was listed in a roll dated 1180-95.

"This family, one of the most illustrious in Normandy took their name from the castle and barony of Tilly, near Caen, of which they were Castellans. Henry de Tilly held the castle in 1165, Ralph de Tilly held lands in Devon 2; and his descendants continued there till the time of Richard Coeur de Lion, when they were seated at Woonford (Wonford, Devon)." 3

Early Origins of the Tilly family

The surname Tilly was first found in Dorset where they held a family seat at Mersewood, where Henry Tilley from Tilley near Caen in Calvados acquired the confiscated estates of Geoffrey de Mandevill in 1083. The Domesday Book of 1086 lists Ralph de Tilly as holding lands in Devon in 1083. 2

"In the beginning of the same reign Henry de Tilly, of West-Harptree-Tilly, in Somersetshire, paid £14 15s. as scutage for the King's ransom. His descendants had several other possessions in the county: the last of them mentioned by Collinson is Lionel Tilly, Lord of Salthay, 13 Henry VI. In the time of Stephen the greater part of the confiscated barony of Geoffrey de Mandeville had been granted to De Tilly. Mersewood in Dorset was its caput baroniae. But, after a suit pursued by three successive generations, Robert de Mandeville recovered it from Henry de Tilly in the beginning of King John's reign." 3

"In South Yorkshire we find 'the family bearing the hereditary name of Tilly enjoying great interests in the dark days before the reign of Henry III.'" Hunter.

"Otho de Tilly was the Seneschal or Steward of Coningsburgh Castle under Hameline Earl Warren during the reigns of Stephen and Henry II.; and erected a cross on the market place at Doncaster, of which the remains (now removed to Hobcross Hill, a little south of the town), are still preserved." 3

"The manor of West-Draynes [in Cornwall] formerly belonged to the family of Carew. It afterwards passed to that of Tillie, and it is now the property of J. Tillie Coryton, Esq." 4

Early History of the Tilly family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tilly research. Another 136 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1314, 1316, 1322, 1324, 1325, 1457, 1458, 1494, 1571, 1588, 1620, 1712 and 1734 are included under the topic Early Tilly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tilly Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Tilley, Tiley and others.

Early Notables of the Tilly family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

William Celling, or perhaps more accurately Tilly of Selling (d. 1494), who derived his name, according to Leland, from the village of Celling, or Selling, some two miles distant from Faversham in Ken...

Tilly Ranking

In the United States, the name Tilly is the 17,523^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5 However, in France, the name Tilly is ranked the 2,849^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,000 - 2,500 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Tilly family to Ireland

Some of the Tilly family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tilly migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Tilly or a variant listed above were:

Tilly Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Edward Tilly, who arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620 7
Ann Tilly, who arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620 7
Hugh Tilly, from Somerset, who arrived in Salem aboard the ship "Lyon's Whelp", bound for Charlestown
William Tilly, aged 28, British settler from Barnstaple who arrived in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Abigail" 7
Anthony Tilly, who landed in Virginia in 1654 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Tilly Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

William Tilly, who landed in Virginia in 1722 7
Geo Tilly, who landed in Virginia in 1732 7

Tilly Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Julia Tilly, who landed in North America in 1832-1849 7
Louise Tilly, who arrived in North America in 1832-1849 7
Marie Tilly, who landed in North America in 1832-1849 7
Wilhelm Tilly, who arrived in North America in 1832-1849 7
Mr. August Tilly, aged 33, who arrived in New Orleans in 1845 aboard the ship "Agnes"
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Tilly migration to Australia +

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

Tilly Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Henry Tilly, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Forfarshire" in 1848 8
Agnes Tilly, aged 26, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1850 aboard the ship "Constance" 9
Mr. George Tilly, (b. 1848), aged 23, Cornish farm labourer, from Ledgvan, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Dunbar Castle" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 28th September 1871 10
Mrs. Elizabeth Tilly, (b. 1849), aged 22, Cornish settler, from Ledgvan, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Dunbar Castle" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 28th September 1871 10

Tilly 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:

Tilly Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Charles Tilly, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "George Canning" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 28th November 1857 11
Mrs. Barbara Tilly, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "George Canning" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 28th November 1857 11
John Tilly, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Queen of Beauty" in 1863
Annie Tilly, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Queen of Beauty" in 1863
Arthur Tilly, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Queen of Beauty" in 1863
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Tilly (post 1700) +

Richard Hugh Tilly (1932-2023), American economic historian
Louise Audino Tilly (b. 1930), American historian
Meg Tilly (b. 1960), born Margaret Elizabeth Chan, an American-born Canadian Academy Award and Golden Globe winning actress, dancer, and author, sister of Jennifer Tilly
Jennifer Tilly (b. 1958), born Jennifer Ellen Chan, American Academy Award nominated actress and World Series of Poker Ladies' Event bracelet winner
Charles Tilly (1929-2008), American sociologist, political scientist, and historian
William Tilly, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1868 12
Virginia Tilly, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Presidential Elector for Michigan, 1984 12
Elinar F. Tilly, American politician, Socialist Labor Candidate for Presidential Elector for Massachusetts, 1956 12
Jacques Louis François Delaistre Tilly (1749-1822), French Divisional General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815, his name is inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe 13
Friedrich Georg Tilly, Polish politician, Mayor of Warsaw from 1799 to 1806
... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) FORFARSHIRE 1848. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1848Forfarshire.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CONSTANCE 1850. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850Constance.htm
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 19). Emigrants to Australia NSW 1860 -88 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/nsw_passenger_lists_1860_88.pdf
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, October 23) Jacques Tilly. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html