Show ContentsTine History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Tine

What does the name Tine mean?

The name Tine was carried to England in the enormous movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Tine family 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 Tine family

The surname Tine 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 Tine family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tine 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 Tine History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tine Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Botfield, Botville, Boteville, Botfeld, Botevile, Thynne, Tyne, Tine, Tynes, O'Tyne, Thinn, O'Thinn, Thin, Then, Them and many more.

Early Notables of the Tine 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 Tine Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Tine family to Ireland

Some of the Tine 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.


Tine migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Tine or a variant listed above:

Tine Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Tine, who arrived in Maryland in 1665 5
  • Susan Tine, who arrived in Virginia in 1665-1666 5
  • Stephen Tine, who landed in Virginia in 1697 5
Tine Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Johannes Tine, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1749 5
Tine Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Bernhard L Tine, who landed in Mobile County, Ala in 1845 5

Tine migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 6
Tine Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • John Tine, his wife Margaret, and daughter Elizabeth, who settled in Barbados in 1679

Contemporary Notables of the name Tine (post 1700) +

  • Tine Baun (b. 1979), née Rasmussen, a Danish former badminton player, winner of the All England Open Badminton Championships women's singles title three times in 2008, 2010, and 2013
  • Tine Balder (1924-2021), Belgian stage, film and television actress
  • Tine Veenstra (b. 1983), Dutch bobsledder at the 2010 Winter Olympics
  • Tine Rustad Kristiansen (b. 1980), Norwegian two-time gold medalist handball player


The Tine 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. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies


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