Surname Topliss - Meaning and Origin

Topliss: What does the surname Topliss mean?

The surname Topliss is of English origin and has a topographical meaning, deriving from the Old English terms "top(e)" and "hyll," which translate to "top of the hill" in modern English. It was traditionally given to families or persons who lived on or near the top of a hill. Like many other English surnames, Topliss is a habitation name, meaning its original bearers lived or worked near a particular geographic feature or type of landscape. Over time, these place-based names were passed down to successive generations and evolved into surnames. Thus, the surname Topliss indicates a geographic or ancestral connection to highland or hilly regions in England. Today, it is spread across the world due to migration and diaspora.

Topliss: Where does the name Topliss come from?

The last name Topliss is most commonly found in the United Kingdom, specifically the East Midlands. The origin of the name Topliss can be traced back to the county of Lincolnshire, where it is believed to have first appeared during the 16th century.

Though Topliss remains an uncommon last name, it is still found throughout the Britsh Isles, as well as scattered across various regions of Australia, Canada, and the United States. In Britain, the prevalence of the surname is highest in Lincolnshire, where the original Topliss family hailed from. In Australia, it is most popular in the states of New South Wales and Queensland.

Though the name has largely stayed local, the Topliss family has developed multiple branches throughout the Anglophone world. Each family retained the same spelling of Topliss, though the name has been slightly modified to fit the regional dialect.

Today, the Topliss family is characterized by a sense of community and loyalty to each other, regardless of which part of the world they are located in. No matter the geographical distance, Topliss family members all share a common root, allowing them to stay connected to their ancestry.

Variations of the surname Topliss

Topliss is a rare English surname of Anglo-Saxon origin. It is derived from the personal name Topel, which is a pet form of the male given name Toppo. As surnames became hereditary, the spelling of names usually changed over time, so the variants, spellings, and surnames from the same origin for Topliss include Topless, Topples, Toppless, Tooples, Topplus, Toplees, Tapples, Tappless, and Topelius.

It is believed that the Topliss surname was first recorded in Lancashire, England in the late 13th century. Early records of the name include William Topul in Lancashire in 1273, and William Topeles and Robert Toppel in Essex in 1296. Since then it has spread throughout England, Scotland, Wales, and more recently, other areas of the world through immigration and colonization.

Since Topliss is an uncommon name, it is likely that the various spellings and variants belong to the same family line. However, there is no direct genealogical link that can be found between the original bearer of the Topliss surname and any of the variants. It is possible, however, to learn more about a family line by researching the distribution patterns of the Topliss name, as well as any related spellings and variants.

Famous people with the name Topliss

• Sir William Topliss: a British businessman and adviser to the Conservative Party.
• John Topliss: a Scottish actor who has appeared in a number of films, including The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain, Saving Private Ryan, and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
• George Topliss: an English actor who has appeared in The Professor, Stardust, and Downton Abbey.
• Sarah Topliss: an English actress who has appeared in EastEnders and Casualty.
• Chris Topliss: an English footballer who notably played for Manchester United Football Club and Derby County.
• Mary Anne Topliss: a pioneering English equestrian trainer and the first woman to be granted a racing licence in Great Britain.
• David Topliss: an English cricketer who notably played for the Warwickshire County Cricket Club.
• Paul Topliss: an Australian racing driver who notably won the 1978 Australian Drivers' Championship.
• Albert Topliss: a British actor who played smaller roles in a number of classic movies such as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Great Expectations, and The Brides of Dracula.
• Alfred Topliss: an English pianist and composer who notably wrote music for the London Palladium musical revue Up and Doing.

Other surnames

ToplinToplingToplisToplisse