TWINN
Twinn is a surname of English origin that has evolved from a nickname into a hereditary family name.
The surname is derived from the Old English word twinn, meaning “double” or “twin”. It is believed that the original bearer of the name was either a twin sibling or someone who bore a striking resemblance to a twin, and the sobriquet consequently entered the records as a personal nickname.
Over time, this nickname became a fixed surname, as families began to pass it on from one generation to the next. The name Twinn therefore signifies a familial connection to the concept of twins or duality.
It is a dialectal variant of the name Twin, which itself originates from the pre-7th Century term (ge)twinn, meaning “twofold” or “double”. This derives from the Old English “twa”, meaning “two”, and the later Middle English term twinn held the same meaning.
Several historical variants of the name have been recorded in the annals of England. These include Twine, Twyn(e) and Tween. For instance, a man named Edmund Twyn appears in the Close Rolls of London in 1407, while the Oxford University Register of 1564 contains the names Thomas Twyne and Laurence Twine.
The first recorded instance of the family name in its present form appears in St. Benets, Pauls Wharf, London Records, where the marriage of Katherine Twinn to John Thompson is documented on 22 September 1653. In 1682, a record from St. Katherines by the Tower, London notes the marriage of Samuel Twinn to Elizabeth Lamprey on 8 February.
Even earlier, the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, compiled during the reign of King Edward I (1272-1307), document a Nicholas Twin in 1279. This is considered the earliest surviving spelling of the name.
The surname is therefore firmly rooted in the legal and social records of medieval England. Today, it can still be found in the United Kingdom and among descendants who have emigrated to other English‑speaking countries.
Typical given names associated with the Twinn surname
Male
- Christopher
- David
- John
- Michael
- Nicholas
- Nick
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Janet
- Jennifer
- Katherine
- Katie
- Ml
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Rebecca
- Sarah
Similar and related surnames
- Twine
- Twiner
- Dawan
- Dawani
- Dawen
- Dawin
- Dawon
- Dawoon
- Dewaine
- Dewan
- Dewane
- Dewani
- Dewen
- Dewin
- Dewine
- Dewinne
- Diwan
- Diwani
- Dowan
- Dowen
- Dowin
- Dowine
- Dowuona
- Dwaine
- Dwan
- Dwane
- Dwen
- Dwine
- Tawana
- Tawona
- Teeuwen
- Teuwen
- Tewani
- Tewin
- Tiwana
- Touwen
- Towan
- Towen
- Towena
- Twain
- Twaine
- Twan
- Twana
- Tween
- Twena
- Twene
- Twin
- Twines
- Twiney
- Twing
- Twinney
- Twinny
- Twins
- Twiny
- Twon
- Twyn
- Twyne
- Twynn
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Twinn in...
Braille
⠞⠺⠊⠝⠝
Morse
-.--..-.-.
Semaphore
There are approximately 650 people named Twinn in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around ten in a million people in Britain are named Twinn.
Famous people named Twinn
- Gary Twinn - Musician
- Peter Twinn - Entomologist (1916 to 2004)
- Ian Twinn - Politician
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.