Tilly Name Meaning, Origin and Heraldry

Spellings drift, and Tilly is where Tilley drifted for some families. Read literally, Tilly points to “Tiller of soil, or lime tree”. Tilly drops the “e” of Tilley, a simplification that clerks often made. Before spelling was standardised, one family could appear under several forms.

1,315 Americans were listed as Tilly in the 2010 census. French civil records give 2,796 births under the name Tilly from 1891 to 2000, peaking in 1951–1960. Births under the name grew in the later decades.

Looking for a Tilly coat of arms? Arms were granted to families, not to surnames, and our research shows which heraldic tradition fits yours. Want more than a summary? See the Tilly family name pack.