Tyndall
A surname usually linked to Tynedale, the valley of the River Tyne in northern England.
The #6,999 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 64,510 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Tyndall is generally treated as a reduced or altered form of Tyndale/Tindale, a locational surname meaning someone from Tynedale. Tynedale is the valley of the River Tyne, and the place-name is usually explained as ‘Tyne valley.’ Some older writers also mention Irish-looking or other unrelated explanations, but the strongest and clearest tradition is the English place-name origin.
History
Historical surname dictionaries place Tyndall alongside Tindale, Tyndale, and related spellings, all pointing to the same northern English locality. The name appears in records in several spellings over time, which is typical of surnames that were not standardized early. It spread beyond its original region and later appears in London and other English records, as well as in North America.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname has often been treated as a classic example of a place-based name that shifted spelling over centuries, with Tyndall and Tyndale used interchangeably in older records.
From the historical record
“f. Ir. t^mh, a veil, cover] TYNDALL } = ^indale, Tindall, q.v. TYNE (Celt.) i Dweller at the R. Tyne [the connexion seems to be with O.Erse tain, water] There is also a R. Tyne in Scotland. 2 the Irish O'TVimAra (wA mute) [f. the same stem as Tynan, q.v. ; with the dim. suff. -in]”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)Notable people named Tyndall
- John Tyndall (1820–1893)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.