Surname Tretheway - Meaning and Origin

Tretheway: What does the surname Tretheway mean?

The last name Tretheway is an English surname, thought to have derived from the Old English personal name “Þroð(wā)” composed of the elements “þroð”, meaning “thrush” or “starling” and “wā”, which was a diminutive suffix. It could have been given to an ancestor who was considered brave and daring, such as a hunter of birds.

The modern spelling of Tretheway could also have originally been Traythway, denoting a name derived from ‘Þreoðwig’, meaning ‘man from Trath”, an area of land in Devon, England. It is also possible that the name was acquired through the habitational name of habitation in the parish of Traythway in the hundred of Torrington in Devon.

Further, it is also possible that the surname is a derivative of the Old English personal name “Þreoða”, which is composed of the elements “þreo” meaning “strong” and “þa”, which was a nickname suffix. The name could have been initially used as a nickname for a strong or sturdy individual.

In conclusion, it is likely that the origin of the name Tretheway is difficult to trace with certainty due to the numerous possible origins. It could have been derived from the Old English personal name, a habitational name or a nickname. However, the most probable etymological origin of the name Tretheway is derived from the Old English “Þroðwā”, which could mean “brave hunter of birds”.

Tretheway: Where does the name Tretheway come from?

The surname Tretheway is found throughout the English speaking world, but is more common in parts of North America, especially in the U.S. and Canada. In the U.S., the states with the highest number of individuals having the last name Tretheway are Oregon, Idaho, Utah, and Washington. The surname is especially heavily concentrated in the Northwest region.

In the United Kingdom, the name is much more uncommon. There were only 37 people with the surname Tretheway recorded in the UK 2018 Census. The majority of these were located in Scotland, with just five individuals recorded in England.

The name may have originated in the Orkney Islands, an archipelago located off the north coast of Scotland. It is believed to be derived from the Old Norse personal name Thorfinn or Threfin, an element found in the Old Norse and Old Irish languages. The surname has also appeared in documents in England as early as the 16th century, particularly in the areas of North Yorkshire and Derbyshire.

The Tretheway surname may also be found in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and the Netherlands.

Variations of the surname Tretheway

The surname Tretheway has many different variants and spellings. It can be spelled as Trethewey, Trethewy, Trethewy, Trethewaye, Trethewye and Tretheweye.

The surname began to spread to other parts of Great Britain and can also be found spelled in various ways. In Wales it appears as Treth-Evie, in Ireland as Trethewey, in Scotland as Trivewey, and in England as Trethewe, Trethewy, Trethewaye, Trethewye and Tretheweye.

Other variants and spellings, as well as surnames of the same origin, can include:

Trevithick

Thretheway

Trevey

Trivet

Trevedy

Trevethy

Trevitt

Treveye

Treeves

Treves

Treve

Trevathick

Trevatt

Traves

Trives

Trevs

Trevett

Trieve

Treverick

Trevor

Trevethan

Trevathan

Tiances

Tryvet

Treaver

Travish

Trevithick

Today, the surname is found in many parts of the world. Some examples of countries where Tretheways have settled are: England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, South Africa, U.S.A., Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

Famous people with the name Tretheway

• Jonathan Tretheway: Actor, best known for his roles as Nate Lahey in The Haunting of Hill House and Ned Cokely in "To All The Boys I've Loved Before".
• Andrew Trethewey: Professional football player, playing for the Cleveland Browns.
• Abigail Tretheway: Winner of the Women's British Open golf tournament in 2016.
• Chris Tretheway: Professional surfer and owner of the Trethewey Surfboards shop in San Diego, California.
• Richard Tretheway: British astronomer and astrophysicist, credited with discovering the Trethewey-Keeler dark nebula.
• Lynn Tretheway: Novelist and poet, author of the award-winning novel The Thin Line.
• Augustus Trethewey: Cinematographer, best known for his work on the Lord of the Rings films.
• Peter Tretheway: Cartoonist and illustrator, known for his contributions to The Simpsons comics.
• Peter Trethewey: Statistician and data scientist, credited with the development of the Trethewey-Anderson Data Model.
• Katie Tretheway: Actress and model, best known for her roles in the television series UnREAL and MTV's 16 and Pregnant.

Other surnames

TretheweyTrethewieTrethewy