Townsley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Early Origins of the Townsley family

The surname Townsley was first found in the West Riding of Yorkshire at Tinsley, a parochial chapelry, in the union of Rotherham, S. division of the wapentake of Strafforth and Tickhill. 1

The place name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was first listed as Tineslauue 2 and literally meant "mound of a man called Tynni, " from the Old English personal name + "hlaw." 3

However, the earliest record of the name was not found in Yorkshire but in Surrey where Adam de Tindesle was listed in the Pipe Rolls in 1207. Richard de Tyntesle was listed in Sussex in 1327. 4 The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1372 lists Lecia de Tyneslawe. 5

Early History of the Townsley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Townsley research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1648 and 1675 are included under the topic Early Townsley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Townsley Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Tinsley, Tinslie, Tinslay, Townsley, Tinsleigh, Tinsly, Townsleigh, Townslie, Townslay, Tounslie, Tounsleigh, Tounsly, Tounsley, Taunslie, Taunsley, Taunsleigh, Taunsly and many more.

Early Notables of the Townsley family

More information is included under the topic Early Townsley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Townsley Ranking

In the United States, the name Townsley is the 8,874^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Townsley family to Ireland

Some of the Townsley 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.

Townsley migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Townsley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Emily Townsley, aged 29, who landed in America, in 1896
Henry P. Townsley, aged 51, who landed in America, in 1896

Townsley Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

H. P. Townsley, aged 56, who immigrated to the United States, in 1908
Robert Townsley, aged 20, who immigrated to the United States from Belfast, Ireland, in 1908
Thomas Townsley, aged 41, who landed in America from Glasgow, Scotland, in 1909
Mary Townsley, aged 20, who landed in America from Belfast, Ireland, in 1909
Ely Townsley, aged 26, who immigrated to the United States from Glasgow, Scotland, in 1909
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Townsley (post 1700) +

Kevin Townsley, American writer, known for his work on Lie to Me (2009), The Shield (2002) and The Chicago Code (2011)
Graham Townsley, American award winning producer and director, known for Treasure Seekers: Quest for the Grail (2001), Dawn of the Maya (2003) and Treasure Seekers: Empires of India
William D. "Bill" Townsley Jr., American actor, known for Dragon Ball Z: Sagas (2005), Dragonball Z: Budokai tenkaichi 3 (2007) and Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 (2006)
Clarence Page Townsley (1855-1926), Superintendent of the United States Military Academy from 1912 to 1916
Louis Townsley, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Canal Zone, 1924, 1928, 1932 7
Mrs. L. Townsley, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Canal Zone, 1932 7
Elias P. Townsley, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from St. Lawrence County 1st District, 1862-63 7
Channel P. Townsley, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Great Bend, Kansas, 1898-1902 7
Calvin Townsley, American politician, Presidential Elector for Vermont, 1844 7
C. D. Townsley, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Texas, 1928 7
... (Another 11 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html