Tilley Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Tilley last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Tilley coat of arms for you.
Meaning and origin of the Tilley last name
Meaning of the Tilley last name: tiller of soil, or lime tree. Tilley is an English surname from Old English tilia, "tiller, farmer", or from Tilly in Normandy, "lime tree place". It is common in the West Country. The Tilley lamp was made in Hendon, and the Canadian Tilley hat bears this last name.
Arms associated with the Tilley name
In English heraldry, coats of arms associated with the Tilley name are described in a blazon, a short formal text.
Get your full Tilley family history
This is only a glimpse of the Tilley story. The full Tilley 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 Tilley coat of arms. Get the full Tilley report.
Tilley name FAQ
What does the Tilley name mean?
Tiller of soil, or lime tree. Common variants include Tilly, Tully.
Where does the Tilley surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Tilley coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Tilley coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).