Tonkin Name Study
Surnames/tags: Tonkyn Tonken Tonking
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Before all things Tonkin, fear God in the King
The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and England report that Tonkin is a variant of Tomkin, from the Middle English personal name T(h)omkin , a diminutive of T(h)om(me), a pet form of Thomas.
Forebears quote several sources, saying that Tonkin means the son of Anthony, a diminutive of Anthony, Tony, with the suffix -kin.
My favourite comes from Thomas Tonkin Esq (1678-1742), who is quoted as saying:
I had hitherto look't upon it to be derived from the Christian name Thomas, and to be the same with Tomkins, and accordingly I find it written in some of my antient deeds Tomkin. But meeting lately with Mr. Keigwin etc, some well versed in the Cornish tongue, they will have it to be entirely Cornish, and to signify a Place on the Side of a Hill, deriving it from ton keyn, a ridge, or Side of a Hill; and though I know of no place in Cornwall at present so called, yet considering how common this name is, especially in the western part of this county, where they write it Tonken, I am apt to believe this to be the true etymology of it.
Parish of St Agnes by Thomas Tonkin edited Peter Aubrey Seymour Pool and HL Douch RIC Journal 1975-6
Note: A great resource for Cornish surnames is the Patronymica Cornu-Britannica the Etymology of Cornish surnames by Richard Stephen Charnock published 1870. But the Tonkin surname is not included, although references are made to Thomas Tonkin and the Parochial History of Cornwall.
About the Project
The Tonkin Name Study project serves as a collaborative platform to collect information on the Tonkin name. The hope is that other researchers like you will join the study to help make it a valuable reference point for other genealogists who are researching or have an interest in the Tonkin name.
As a One Name Study, this project is not limited to persons who are related biologically. Individual studies can be used to branch out the research into specific methods and areas of interest, such as geographically (England Tonkin's), by time period (18th Century Tonkin's), or by topic (Tonkin DNA, Tonkin Occupations, Tonkin Statistics). These studies may also include a number of family branches which have no immediate link with each other. Some researchers may even be motivated to go beyond the profile identification and research stage to compile fully sourced, single-family histories of some of the families they discover through this name study project.
Also see the related surnames and surname variants.
How to Join
To join the Tonkin Name Study, first start out by browsing our current research pages to see if there is a specific study ongoing that fits your interests. If so, feel free to add your name to the Membership list below, post an introduction comment on the specific team page, and then dive right in! Alternatively, contact Karyn Homburg Tonkin Name Study Coordinator.
Once you are ready to go, you can also show your project affiliation with the ONS Member Sticker:
Research Pages
Here are some of the current research pages included in the study. I'll be working on them, and could use your help!
- Tonkin Migrants to South Australia
- Tonkin Migrants to Victoria, Australia
- Tonkin Migrants to New South Wales Australia
- Tonkin Migrants to Queensland Australia
- Tonkin Migrants to New Zealand
- Tonkin Migrants to United States
- Tonkin England and Wales Birth Death and Marriage Statistics
- Tonkin England and Wales Census Statistics
- Tonkin United States Census Statistics
- William Tonkin drowned River Torrens 1890
William Tonkin (abt.1822-1890) married Margaret (Thomas) Stephens in 1850 in Kooringa, South Australia. He died in 1890 from drowning in the River Torrens, Adelaide, aged 68. But where was he from?
- Extract from an original emigrants letter
William Tonkin (1791-1876) emigrated to South Australia with his family on the China, arriving at Port Adelaide on 14 December 1847. This letter written to his brothers and sisters back home, was first published in The Emigrants Penny Magazine in November 1850.
- William and Mary Tonkin but which couple?
There are 3 couples William Tonkin and wife Mary with children baptised from 1791. How can you know which children belonged to which couple?
- John and Ann Tonkin but which couple?
There are 4 couples John Tonkin and wife Ann living in St Agnes having children baptised from 1793. How can you know which children belonged to which couple?
- John Tonkin and wife Jane or Jennifer?
John Tonkin married Jenefer Allen in 1785 in Perranzabuloe, another John Tonkin married Jane Lawrence in 1788 in St Agnes. With Jane also known as Jenifer, how can you know which children belonged to which couple?
- John and Mary Tonkin but which couple?
John Tonkin married Mary Mitchell in 1754 in St Agnes, another John Tonkin married Mary Tregea (widow) in 1756 also in St Agnes. How can you know which children baptised in St Agnes belong to which couple? The Will of Mary Tonkin (spinster) gives the answer!
- Ann Tonkin widow married Thomas Webb
Ann Tonkin widow married Thomas Webb widower on 22 January 1816 in St Agnes, who was she and what was her last name at birth?
At this time I have not started a research page for DNA, but here are a couple of things that are of interest :
- Tonkin DNA Connections on WikiTree.
- Family Tree DNA Group Projects :
Categories
Profiles will then be categorised by Country. In Australia and England you will find further categories for States/Counties. As you can imagine the England/Cornwall category is quite large, so it is broken down again via parishes. A great way to find connections is to check out other Tonkin's in these parishes!
- Spouse Tonkin Name Study
There is also a category for Tonkin spouses, a Tonkin by marriage is also a Tonkin! Note: Tonkin spouses will not have a Tonkin Name Study sticker or be included in location categories.
- Tonkin Cemetery, Braxton County, West Virginia
Jacob Champney Tonkin (1804-1861) was the first to be buried in Tonkin Cemetery. There are 43 burials here, all descendants or have connections to Jacob Champney Tonkin.
Tasks
A few things to keep an eye on :
- Needs Profiles Created
- Biography Needed
- Unconnected Tonkin profiles
- Unsourced Tonkin profiles
- Suggestions for Tonkin profiles
Related Surnames and Surname Variants
Resources
Here are some great resources for Tonkin research :
- Cornwall Online Parish Clerks
- FamilySearch England, Cornwall Parish Registers 1538 - 2010
- Carew's Survey of Cornwall To which are added notes illustrative of its history and antiquities by the late Thomas Tonkin Esq.
- The Parochial History of Cornwall founded on the manuscript histories of Mr Hals and Mr Tonkin.
- The History of Cornwall, in seven volumes, by Rev. Richard Polwhele
- Works : Peter Pool Cornish Historian, in particular St Agnes, Parish of by Thomas Tonkin published in the RIC Journal 1975-6
- Trove National Library of Australia
- FamilySearch Books Here you will find digitised copies of various publications including some Tonkin family histories.
- House of Names : Tonkin History, Family Crest and Coat of Arms.
Membership
- Login to edit this profile and add images.
- Private Messages: Contact the Profile Managers privately: Karyn Homburg and One Name Studies WikiTree. (Best when privacy is an issue.)
- Public Comments: Login to post. (Best for messages specifically directed to those editing this profile. Limit 20 per day.)
A real nice one name study! I am also a beneficiary of your work as my great grandmother was a Paul(l), and many ties between the Paulls and the Tonkins.
For example, my 2x great grand aunt Lydia Paull 1825 St. Agnes - 1931 Easton, PA, USA married Joseph Tonkin 1824 St. Agnes - 1882 PA.
Or closer to home for you, my 1C3R Mary Ann Paull 1836 Staines, England - 1917 Moonta had as her son-in-law William Mitchell Tonkin 1869 Moonta - 1934 Moonta.
Thanks for all your work with the Paulls. We need a Paull One-Name Study, or even a St. Agnes One-Place Study. I have enough on my plate unfortunately.
Best, Bob
I would be interested in a Paull name study too. There a quite a few Tonkin Paull marriages in St Agnes, my closest one would be William Paull (bef.1786-1841) and Elizabeth (Tonkin) Paull (1793-1861) my 4 great-grandparents, who are also from St Agnes. William's mother was also a Tonkin! I might have a look into it, as you say, it's finding the time!
I have spent a great deal of time over the past decade finding the ancestry of my 2x great grandfather Edmund Paull 1818-1890, who my genealogist father never got past the fact that he was a old saloon keeper from England and had 2 daughters (and no marriage license to their mother who was 34 years younger). Using shared DNA and records, I not only found the first huge family of this mining “captain” with his first wife and 11 kids in St. Agnes, but also built his family tree from scratch and found his history. After the death of his wife, he was put in the Bodmin Gaol in Apr 1873 for “Absconding and Bankruptcy”; he owed a debt of 50,9,3. After spending 9 days imprisoned, he gifted 200 pounds he had hidden away and all his furniture to 2 of his granddaughters and went to America. Definitely one of my more interesting ancestors!