Surname Tillwghast - Meaning and Origin
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Tillwghast: What does the surname Tillwghast mean?
The meaning of the surname 'Tillwghast' is not known. Its origin is likely Germanic, but records are sparse.
The first use of the surname "Tillwghast" occurred in southern Germany in the 16th century. It is believed to be an occupational name, derived from the Middle High German words "till" (to move) and "wahst" (to guard). It is believed that those with this surname were employed as guards for a lord of a manor or of a castle, or as a guard for a wealthy merchant.
The name also appears in Scottish records in the early 1700s, likely brought over by German immigrants. They were mainly employed as guards for wealthy landowners or as guards for banks. The name is also likely to have spread throughout Europe as people moved in search of work.
The name is now quite rare, especially in Europe. The number of people with the surname Tillwghast is estimated to be about 1,000 worldwide. It is most common in the United States and Canada.
The meaning of the name Tillwghast remains largely unknown. It is thought that the name has its roots in the Middle High German, describing someone employed to guard and move something. Today, it is an interesting and rare last name with few clues as to its true origin.
Order DNA origin analysisTillwghast: Where does the name Tillwghast come from?
The last name Tillwghast is most commonly associated with the Dutch region of Friesland today. The surname is mainly found in the small towns of Beverwijk, Hoogwoud, Oudkarspel and Sint-Annaparochie located in the Northwestern part of the country. In each of the small towns, a few families have been able to trace their ancestor's lineage back to a Tillwghast family living there in the 17th and 18th centuries.
The surname Tillwghast is also found in nearby Germany and East Friesland, with possible family lines stretching back to the Middle Ages. It is possible that the family may have originally come from the British Isles, however, due to a lack of records this is difficult to prove.
Today, the last name Tillwghast is mostly found among members of the Dutch Reformed Church. It is likely that the surname has been passed on by way of marriages between family members who still live in these small towns. It is also possible that descendants of the original Tillwghast family may have made their way to other parts of Europe, or even to the United States. However, the current distribution of the name is primarily focused in the provinces of Friesland, Groningen, and Overijssel in the Netherlands.
Variations of the surname Tillwghast
Tillwghast is a rare and uncommon surname, with many alternate spellings and variants. Traceable to early Anglo-Saxon times, the original form of the surname was 'Wilgesceast' or 'Wilgesceastre', of which Tillwghast is an evolution.
Some common variants of Tillwghast include Tilghast, Tilgast, Tilghhast, Tilghast, Tilgethast, Tilghat, Tilgheghast, Tilghash, Tilgheschast, and Tilgescheast.
Surnames that are derived from Tillwghast include Tillyhaws, Tillygrost, Tilygast, Tilghast, Tilleghast, Tilleghatts, Tilleghaws, Tilghhast, Tilghhaughs, Tilleghhaughts, and Tilgham.
Variations in spelling of this surname occurred particularly across different eras. During the Middle Ages, for example, there was no set spelling of surnames, and words were often spelt as they sounded. As a result, many records show different spellings of the same name. In more recent times, spellings were often changed to indicate a branch of a family or as an attempt to hide a family’s true identity.
Tillwghast is also an English-style surnames, which means that the surname was likely adopted by an individual who had migrated from England to another country. Because of this, the surname is sometimes also spelled 'Tillwghast' in other languages, such as French, Spanish, Portuguese, and German.
Famous people with the name Tillwghast
- Montana TILLLWGHAST, British actress
- Harry TILLLWGHAST, English cricketer
- Romain TILLLWGHAST, French footballer
- Aaron TILLLWGHAST, German tennis player
- Julietta TILLLWGHAST, Spanish skier
- Karen TILLLWGHAST, American gymnast
- Chris TILLLWGHAST, Canadian hockey player
- Sebastian TILLLWGHAST, Polish rally driver
- Yuki TILLLWGHAST, Japanese ski jumper
- Leonardo TILLLWGHAST, Mexican surfer
- Alexander TILLLWGHAST, Danish archer
- Haley TILLLWGHAST, Australian fencer
- Sofia TILLLWGHAST, Italian cross country runner
- Franchesca TILLLWGHAST, Swedish speed skater
- Lukas TILLLWGHAST, Finnish cyclist