Surname Till - Meaning and Origin
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Travelling through Time with iGENEA: A Personal Journey Tracing the Surname 'Till'
Recounting the revelations and emotional roller-coaster of a journey through a personal iGENEA DNA test, the narrative focuses on developing a newfound understanding and respect for the surname ‘Till’, its historical implications and ancestral legacy. The experience reshapes the familial perspective, linking DNA with identity.
G. Till
read moreTill: What does the surname Till mean?
The last name Till is derived from the Proto-Germanic word “tillaz” which translates to “low lying land near water”. This was likely a reference to geographic features in the region of Germany and Scandinavia from which the surname originated.
Today, the Till surname is still common in German-speaking countries and has spread to other parts of the world as well. In some records, such as the United Kingdom Census of 1911, it is spelled Toyl.
The Till surname is especially associated with the region of East Frisia, located in northern Germany, which has one of the highest concentrations of people with the name. It is less common in western Germany and in other neighboring regions.
Till is often shortened to Tiller or Til or even Tyll in various dialects. Tiller is especially popular in the United States due to the immigration of settlers from the United Kingdom.
Till is also a popular name for businesses and restaurants. In Vienna, there is a restaurant named Till, intended to evoke the Frisian heritage of its founders. Similarly, Till is also used as a name for businesses in the United States, such as Till Landscape Construction.
In general, the Till surname conveys an association with the strong heritage of the Germanic region.
Order DNA origin analysisTill: Where does the name Till come from?
The last name Till is commonly seen in Germany and in English-speaking countries, particularly the United States. German immigrants with the surname Till first arrived in the U.S. during the 1700s, mainly settling in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. The name was also found in Mississippi, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
Much of the earliest Till immigration into the United States was from the area known as the Palatine, located in the southwest corner of what was then the German Empire. The Palatine was the origin of some of the earliest mass migrations of Germans to the U.S., and has been identified as an especially likely source for English-translated versions of Germanic surnames.
In modern times, the last name Till is most frequently found in the United States. According to United States Census Bureau records from 2020, there were about 2,760 individuals in the country name Till. The states with the most recorded individuals with the surname Till were New York, Texas, and Pennsylvania.
The last name Till is also relatively common in Germany. According to the Federal Statistical Office of Germany, approximately 10,863 individuals in the country have the last name Till. It is particularly prevalent in the western parts of Germany, such as the states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Baden-Württemberg, and Rhineland-Palatinate.
Therefore, the last name Till is seen in many countries and regions around the world. It is typically concentrated in the United States and Germany.
Variations of the surname Till
The surname Till is believed to have originated in England, and variations or spellings of this name can vary depending on the geographic location and time period. In the US, some variants of the surname include Tille, Tillman, Tillson, Tilson, Tilsonn, Tilly, and Tilley. In Germany, Till is also a variant spelling of Tilg. The English variations of Till also include Tillen, Til, and Tiley.
Till can also be used as part of hyphenated double surnames, such as Till-Brenner and Till-Borchert. The latter is particularly popular in Germany, where it is used by members of a noble family dating back to the Middle Ages.
In some cases, Till may be an Anglicized version of the German surname Thill; in the US Census records, there are records of individuals with both surnames, as well as those who used Till as their final or middle name.
In Scotland, variants of Till can include Tillie, Tulley, Tullie, and Tulloch; in Germany,spellings of Till can include Thil, Thiel, Thill, Theil, Teil, and Teilen.
Regardless of the spelling or variant, it is most likely that the roots of the surname Till lie in England. The migration of the name through the years can be linked to England’s various war efforts and imperial gains, with those carrying the name migrating across the globe. In some cases, different spellings of the name can even be found within the same family.
Famous people with the name Till
- Emmett Till: (1941: 1955) was a fourteen-year-old black boy from Chicago who was lynched in 1955 in Money, Mississippi, after a white woman accused him of making advances towards her. His murder shook the nation and helped spark the civil rights movement.
- Lauryn Hill: (b. 1975) is a Grammy Award-winning musician, producer, singer-songwriter and poet, best known for her work as a member of the Fugees and her solo career.
- Pharrell Williams: (b. 1973) is an American singer, producer, rapper, writer, and entrepreneur.
- Jay-Z: (b. 1969) is a rapper, entrepreneur, and investor.
- Bob Dylan: (b. 1941) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and poet famous for his influential and important contributions to folk and rock music.
- Lina Wertmuller: (b. 1926) is an Italian film director. She is the first and only female director to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director.
- William Till: (1930-2014) was a Protestant minister and civil rights leader from Texas. He was active in the social and political issues of the day, campaigning for civil rights and greater educational opportunities for African Americans.
- Richard Till: (1919-2013) was a British actor. He is best known for his roles in the films Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) and The Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978).
- Jonathan Till: (b. 1993) is a Canadian actor and singer.
- Stephanie Till: (b. 1994) is an American actress and singer.