Tyson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Tyson is rooted in the ancient Norman culture that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It was a name for someone who was a fiesty or hot-tempered person. The name is a metaphor derived from the Old French word tison meaning fire-brand.

Alternatively the name could have originated from “Tesson or Taisson, the Norman-French for badger.” [1]

Early Origins of the Tyson family

The surname Tyson was first found in Northumberland where they held a family seat from early times, where the name originally was Tesson, one of the most powerful families in Normandy seated at Angouleme. Their history is French more than Viking and they distinguished themselves against the Saracens in 725. 

They were later seated at Anjou and Raoul Tesson the first Lord of Cingueleiz led 120 knights at Val-Des-Dunes in 1047. Gilbert Tesson, his brother, obtained the barony of Alnwick from King Edward the Confessor, England’s Saxon King, and was killed at the Battle of Hastings, fighting on the Saxon side. [2]

Early History of the Tyson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tyson research.

Tyson Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person’s name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Tyson, Tesson, Tewson, Tiuson, Tison, Dyson and many more.

Tyson Ranking

In the United States, the name Tyson is the 934^th most popular surname with an estimated 32,331 people with that name. [3]

 Tyson migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Tyson or a variant listed above were: 

Tyson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

• George Tyson, who arrived in Virginia in 1642 [4]
• Thomas Tyson, who arrived in Maryland in 1661 [4]
• Leonard Tyson, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1683 [4]
• Reynier Tyson, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1683 [4]

Tyson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

• Lewis Tyson who settled in Maryland in 1719

Tyson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

• Henry Tyson, aged 37, who landed in New York in 1812 [4]
• John Tyson, aged 23, who arrived in Rhode Island in 1812 [4]
• Matthew Tyson, who arrived in New York, NY in 1832 [4]
• William Tyson, who landed in New York in 1835 [4]
• J R Tyson, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 [4]

 Tyson migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were: 

Tyson Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

• Edward Tyson, who landed in Saint Vincent in 1760-1763

Tyson Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

• Isaiah Tyson, who arrived in Canada in 1829
• Mr. William Tyson, aged 17 who was a Seaman aboard the ship “Saguenay” taking passenger to Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec departing from the port of Cork, Ireland but died at Grosse Isle on 30th August 1847 in the typhus epidemic [5]

 Tyson migration to Australia+

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: 

Tyson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

• William Tyson, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the “Almorah” on April 1817, settling in New South Wales, Australia [6]
• Mr. James Tyson who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for life, transported aboard the “Bussorah Merchant” on 24th March 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [7]
• Mr. Henry Tyson, British convict who was convicted in Isle of Man for 14 years, transported aboard the “Barossa” on 9th May 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen’sLand) [8]

Contemporary Notables of the name Tyson (post 1700) +

• Michael Gerard “Mike” Tyson (b. 1966), American former world heavyweight boxing champion, inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame
• Cicely Louise Tyson (1924-2021), American Tony award and Emmy Award winning actress, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
• Betty Tyson (1948-2023), African-American woman known for her wrongful conviction in the murder of an American businessman in 1973, she spent 25 years in prison before being released in 1998
• Ron Tyson (b. 1948), American tenor /falsetto singer and songwriter
• Laura D’Andrea Tyson (b. 1947), American economist and presidential adviser
• Neil deGrasse Tyson (b. 1958), award-winning American astrophysicist
• Lawrence Tyson (1861-1929), American politician
• June Tyson (1936-1992), American jazz singer
• George C. Tyson, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Michigan State Senate 13th District, 1926 [9]
• David R. Tyson, American Republican politician, West Virginia Republican State Chair, 2000; Delegate to Republican National Convention from West Virginia, 2000, 2008, 2012; Presidential Elector for West Virginia, 2012 [9]