Surname Tillinghast - Meaning and Origin
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Tillinghast: What does the surname Tillinghast mean?
The last name Tillinghast is of Anglo-Saxon origin, originating from the pre-medieval English word tilun meaning 'to cultivate.' This was likely adopted to denote an occupation related to agriculture, with 'hast' referring to someone who lived near an area of arable land.
By the 11th century, the name was well-established throughout England, with numerous records of the name Tillinghast being documented in the Domesday Book and subsequent English censuses for various parish's throughout the kingdom.
The Tillinghast's have played an important part in British history; many notable figures of the last name have been found in the annals of British politics, military, and civilian contributions. One example is Faith Tillinghast, brothers of the knight and renowned English General Henry Tillinghast. She was a highly influential figure during the reign of the Tudors, often using her high standing and connections to impact political issues during the era.
Another famous Tillinghast is Francis William Tillinghast, considered one of America’s premier history writers and a historian for the American Battle Monuments Commission during the Great War.
Other famous bearers of the name include William Tillinghast, a prominent early philanthropist and farmer in the American colonies, and Jacob Tillinghast, an influential 18th century shipbuilder who had an impact on the colonization of local Rhode Island ports.
Overall, this name carries within its history a wealth of knowledge and accomplishments related to the development of English culture, as well as other several countries around the world. It also serves as a reminder of the importance of family, and the perseverance and dedication of those who have come before us.
Order DNA origin analysisTillinghast: Where does the name Tillinghast come from?
The last name Tillinghast is still relatively common today, with its highest frequency being in the United States. According to Ancestry.com data from 2020, Tillinghast is the 4,014th most common name in the United States, with about 15,000 people bearing that name. In terms of state-by-state breakdowns, the name Tillinghast is most frequently found in Rhode Island, with a population of 2,600 hundred-strong Tillinghast family members living in the state. New Jersey and Massachusetts round out the top three states, each having between 1,000 and 1,500 Tillinghast citizens.
Due to the diverse migrations of the Tillinghast family, it has also established itself abroad in both Canada and the United Kingdom. In Canada, it is most prominent in the provinces of Nova Scotia and Ontario, the latter having 78 of the 303 Tillinghast-named-citizens. As for the United Kingdom, the last name is most commonly found in England. Here, it is 630th, with all of the 598 people bearing that surname living in the country’s preeminent cities of London, Birmingham and Manchester.
These cities have become prime destinations for international Tillinghast relatives thanks to the longstanding trend of the “American Dream” migration that continues to attract people from America’s Northeast region to Britain. While the last name Tillinghast may have originated in these regions, it can now be found all over the world. Indeed, Tillinghast families reside in countries such as France, Italy, Australia, and the Philippines, making this name truly a global one!
Variations of the surname Tillinghast
The surname Tillinghast is derived from the Old English words "til" and "ingas", indicating a settlement of "people of the furrows". This surname is also found in various spellings and variants such as Tillingshast, Tillinghast, Tillenghast, Tillingghast, and Tillenghast.
The surname is further divided into sub-variants, with spellings like Tillinghaus, Tilgham, Tillinghause, Tillengast, Tilengast, and Tillingast. These variants are likely derived from a misunderstanding of speech when the original name was spoken in English dialects.
This surname is also found sporadically in some Germanic regions. The variations of the name found in those areas are Tilinghaus, Tilinghauß, Tillinghausen, Tilinghoff, and Tilinghauf.
The surname has been adopted by several other cultures, and has developed additional variants. In Scandinavia and Eastern Europe, for instance, it is seen spelled as Tylenghast, Tylenghaus, Tillinghast, Tilenghaus, Tilinghaus, Tilinhaus, and Tylynghaus.
Finally, the name is seen in the Low Countries, especially the Netherlands, as Dillinger, Tillinger, Tilheer, and Tilhare, all of which are derived from the low German corruption of the name.
In summation, the surname Tillinghast has many variants, spellings, and derivative surnames, with some localized ones varying greatly from the original. Those surnames, developed from tymes of old, are a sign of the diverse cultures which sought to adopt and keep this name alive.
Famous people with the name Tillinghast
- Gail Tillinghast: the first female principal of a public school in the United States.
- Harold Tillinghast: a Scottish-American Presbyterian minister and president of Rutgers University.
- James Raymond Tillinghast: an American inventor credited with helping to establish air navigation.
- Margaret Tillinghast: a pioneering female historian and educational administrator.
- Thomas Tillinghast: an American golfer and one of the original founders of the USGA.
- Tommy Tillinghast: an American Major League Baseball player who played for the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Robins.
- Catherine Tillinghast: a key administrator in the building of the Erie Canal.
- Helen Tillinghast: a 24th-generation American descendant of the Tillinghasts who inherited much of the family’s estate, including a 22-acre estate in Rhode Island.
- Samuel Tillinghast: a Revolutionary War general and a salutatorian of Yale University.
- Susan Tillinghast: an American environmentalist and chief of the Nantucket Cedar Swamp.