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Tempest Surname Meaning & Origin

What the Tempest last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.

Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Tempest coat of arms for you.

Meaning and origin of the Tempest last name

Meaning of the Tempest last name: storm (nickname). Tempest is an English surname from Old French tempeste, "storm", a nickname for a man with a stormy temper. The Tempests of Broughton Hall have lived in Yorkshire for centuries. Marie Tempest was a leading actress of the London stage, and this last name remains a Yorkshire one.

Arms associated with the Tempest name

Coats of arms associated with the Tempest surname follow English heraldry, each set out in a short blazon.

Get your full Tempest family history

This is only a glimpse of the Tempest story. The full Tempest history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Tempest coat of arms. Get the full Tempest report.

Tempest name FAQ

What does the Tempest name mean?

Storm (nickname). Common variants include Tempast.

Where does the Tempest surname come from?

It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.

Is there a Tempest coat of arms?

Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Tempest coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.

Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).