Map of England showing where the Tomlin arms are recorded
The Tomlin arms were recorded in England, c. 1620.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in York.
Yorkshire is the largest of the English counties, and it held more gentry families than any other. Land there was split among a great many households rather than a few, so a great many of them carried arms.
This is where the arms were entered in the register. Families often moved to other parts of the country, so the same name can turn up in more than one region.
The body that granted and recorded arms in England in this period.
James VI and I
Sovereign of the period
James VI and I
1603–1625
Reigning in England when the Tomlin arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in England
English heraldry allowed arms to be shared by all legitimate descendants of the original owner. These symbols were treated as personal property that moved through the generations to all children. While the eldest son kept the original design, other family members could use the same shield without needing to change it or register their own unique versions.
Granting authority
The College of Arms in London has regulated the use of coats of arms throughout England and Wales since 1484.
How they got arms
Families typically obtained their coats of arms through a formal grant from the Crown or by proving their ancient right to them.
Where arms were recorded
All official coats of arms are recorded in the registers kept at the College of Arms, which date back to the fifteenth century.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of England.
Origin & History of the Tomlin Family in England
The surname Tomlin is a patronymic name, which means it originated as a way to identify a person as the son of someone named Tom or Thomas. During the Middle Ages in England, it became common practice to add a suffix like "lin" to a name to show affection or to indicate a smaller version of the original. By the early 17th century, families carrying this name were well-established in northern England, particularly in the city of York. Records from 1620 show that the Tomlin family was already integrated into the local community, likely working in the trades or agriculture that defined life in the region at the time. As the family grew, they moved through the social structures of the era, leaving behind traces in parish registers and local administrative documents that help historians map their early presence in Yorkshire.
Tomlin Meaning & Related Branches
Root word
Thomas
Aramaic name meaning twin.
This name
TomlinA diminutive form meaning little son of the twin.
also spelled
Tomlyn
Thomlin
Thomlyn
Related arms
George Watkins Rice, Esqrecorded with Tomlin, same area
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Bardsley, Charles Wareing, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, 1901
Reaney, P.H., A Dictionary of British Surnames, 1958
Borthwick Institute for Archives, York Diocesan Records: Parish Registers of the City of York, 1620
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chevronProtection, and faithful service completed
leafHappiness and abundance
chevronProtection, and faithful service completed
leafHappiness and abundance
