Surname Trengove - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'T'
Trengove: What does the surname Trengove mean?
The last name Trengove is of Cornish origin and is believed to be derived from the word trengoff which is an old Cornish word for a village, hamlet or small settlement. The name is also thought to be a variant of the Cornish word Trengoff which also means town.
The Trengove name first appeared in around 1650 when a family of that name are noted as living in the areas of Gwennap, Merther and in St. Day. The name has since spread throughout the UK and Australia.
As a surname, the Trengove name is consistently associated with strong character, loyalty and a hard-working attitude. Common professions of today such as miners, tinners, smithies and millers were the common occupations that the Trengoves of old would have been involved in. Furthermore, in places such as St Ives, the Trengove name is remembered for those who worked and lived off the sea such as fishermen and even ship-builders.
The Trengove family was closely associated with the area for centuries and the name is undoubtedly part of the rich Cornish heritage of the region. The Trengove surname is synonymous with a strong bond of family and dedication to their local community.
Order DNA origin analysisTrengove: Where does the name Trengove come from?
The last name Trengove is most commonly found today in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. It has also been known to be used in countries such as the United States, Canada, South Africa, Ireland, Germany, and France. The origin of the name has been debated, with some saying that it is derived from an Old English personal name and others claiming it comes from the Danish surname Tregaard, which means “town of the trier”.
In the United Kingdom, Trengove is most prominent in Cornwall and Devon and is likely to be of Cornish origin. One family with the surname Trengove appears in the National Trust's Buried Treasures directories, comprising of seven generations of a single family who lived in a farmhouse in Devon from 1860 to 1975.
In Australia, the first Trengove arrived with the First Fleet in 1788 and records of Trengove families appear in many of the early colonised areas around the country.
The name has also made its way to New Zealand, where it began being used in the 1930s. It is believed that they may have been descendants of the original Cornish settlers, or perhaps of Dutch and German settlers from further north.
Trengove is a relatively uncommon last name today, but with its strong ties to a number of countries around the world, it’s still a meaningful part of many individual family trees.
Variations of the surname Trengove
Trengove is a surname of Cornish origin. It is derived from the Old Cornish words Trengu and Gru, which mean ‘homestead in a field’; and therefore could mean one who lived ‘at the homestead in a field’.
The variant and diminutive spellings of Trengove include Trengov, Trengoff, Target, Trengof, and Tringover. There are also variants which sound similarly such as Trangoe, Trincox, Trenholme, and Tringov.
Surnames which could share the same origin as Trengove include Trangoe, Trincox, Trenholme, Tringov, Trelife, Trigoe, Tregian, Trenberth and Trigg.
The majority of the people who bear this surname can be found in England, especially in Devon where many of the Trengove family have branches. It is possible that they are descended from the ancient Britons and Celts of the area who would have inhabited the region during the prehistoric era.
In terms of contemporary records, the earliest known record of the name dates back to 1285, when Walter Trengove was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Cornwall. In more recent times, the name can be found throughout England, with numerous variant forms listed in the UK census since 1881.
Famous people with the name Trengove
- Tess Trengove: South African long-distance runner
- Alison Trengove: British voice actress
- Adelaide Trengove: Australian actress
- Brad Trengove: Australian television, film and theatre writer and producer
- John Trengove: South African film director and screenwriter
- Bronwen Trengove: New Zealand author and illustrator
- Augustus Trengove: South African illustrator and cartoonist
- Ryan Trengove: Australian actor
- Chad Trengove: Australian poet and teacher
- Libby Trengove: British actress