Surname Titley - Meaning and Origin

Titley: What does the surname Titley mean?

The surname Titley is of Anglo-Saxon origin. It is derived from the Old English pre 7th Century "titel" meaning "top or summit," and "leah," which refers to a "wood or clearing." Thus, the name can be translated as "clearing at the peak." Another explanation suggests that it is a locational name taken from a place named "Titley" in Herefordshire, England. Over time, the spelling has evolved into various forms such as Tittley, Tittley, Tidley, and Titly. Surnames were often based on location, status, or occupation in ancient times. Therefore, the surname Titley may refer to families originating from that area or living on the topmost clearing of a wooded region. Though it is not a common surname, it provides fascinating insights into ancient naming practices and geographical characteristics of places.

Titley: Where does the name Titley come from?

The last name Titley is quite common in England today, especially within the counties of Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, and Lincolnshire. It is believed to have originated from the Old English given name "Tittal," meaning "son of Titta," a diminutive of "Tit," an old English nickname for someone with a fierce temper.

The Titley name can first be traced to the 12th century in England. Records from 1273 indicate a Gilbert Titele living in Corbridge, Northumberland. Later records suggest that many of the original Titleys were based in Tuttletown, Warwickshire, and the village of Titley in Herefordshire (now known as Titley Court).

Today, the last name Titley is still found mostly in England, especially in the East Midlands around Nottingham, Derbyshire, and Lincolnshire, and in the southern counties of Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk, and Kent. The last name is not so common in otherEuropean countries, but there has been some settlement from the 1970s onwards in Australia and New Zealand.

Interestingly, there are some records which suggest that there may be a connection between the Titley surname and the Irish surnames of Tierney and Tynan. Research is ongoing in this area and the connection is yet to be confirmed.

Variations of the surname Titley

The surname Titley has a variety of variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. These include Tittley, Titley, Tytley, Titeley, Tiddley, Tydley, Tidley, Titly, Tytle, Tittel, Tytly, Tytlee, Titlee, Tittle, and Tidle.

Tittley is the most common variant of Titley, which is believed to be of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from ‘Titela’ which was an old personal name. As such, Titley is believed to mean ‘the descendant of Titela’. It has also been suggested that it is derived from ‘Tytel’ which was an old Dutch and Flemish name.

Titley is also sometimes found as an Americanized spelling of German surnames such as ‘Teettle’ and ‘Tiedtke’, both of which have the same meaning of ‘descendant of Titel’. Similarly, the rare German surname ‘Titloff’ can also be an Americanized variant of Titley.

In addition to these Ango-Saxon and German variants, Titley can also be a Anglicized version of Jewish surnames, such as Polish ‘Titelewicz’ and ‘Titelbaum’ which both mean ‘Descendant of Titel’.

Finally, in Ireland, the surname Titley can be an Anglicization of the Irish surname ‘Tadhg’, which also means ‘Descendant of Titel’. This variant of Titley is most commonly found in County Cork as well as counties Limerick, Tipperary and all four Provinces of Ireland.

To summarize, the variants, spellings and surnames arising from the same origin as Titley include Tittley, Tytley, Titeley, Tiddley, Tydley, Tidley, Titly, Tytle, Tittel, Tytly, Tytlee, Titlee, Tittle, and Tidle. They all have the same meaning of ‘descendant of Titel’, though they may differ in origin or country.

Famous people with the name Titley

• Joseph Titley: an English footballer
• George Titley: a fictional character on the British soap opera "Brookside"
• Will Titley: an English cricketer
• Tom Titley: a professional wrestler
• Steve Titley: an American soccer player
• Frank Titley: a British motorsport driver
• John Titley: a former member of the Canadian Parliament
• Chris Titley: a radio DJ from the United Kingdom
• Vince Titley: the English record producer and musician
• Mark Titley: a contemporary English painter

Other surnames

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