Townsend Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Townsend last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Townsend coat of arms for you.
Meaning and origin of the Townsend last name
Meaning of the Townsend last name: dweller at the end of the village. Townsend is a name for someone who lived at the end of a village or town. It was a simple way to tell apart two men with the same first name. The name is most common in the English Midlands and the south. A curious detail: a Norfolk family spelled it Townshend, and one of them became known as "Turnip" Townshend for his enthusiasm for growing turnips.
Arms associated with the Townsend name
In England, gold stood for generosity and silver for peace, and arms used by Townsend families speak that old language of colour.
Get your full Townsend family history
This is only a glimpse of the Townsend story. The full Townsend 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 Townsend coat of arms. Get the full Townsend report.
Townsend name FAQ
What does the Townsend name mean?
Dweller at the end of the village. Common variants include Townshend, Townend, Tonsend.
Where does the Townsend surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Ireland and Australia.
Is there a Townsend coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Townsend coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.