Tomsett

This unusual name is of late Medieval English origin, and derives from a diminutive form of the personal name 'Thomas', where the suffix 'et(t)' was added as a diminutive term, indicating 'little Thomas', thus, 'son of Thomas'. The personal name derives from an Aramaic byname meaning 'Twin', and was the name of one of the disciples, contributing to its popularity as a medieval given name, although in pre-Conquest England it was found only as a name for priests. The modern surname can be found as 'Tomsett', 'Thomsett', and with an intrusive 'p', 'Tompsett' and 'Thompsett'. One Edward Tomsett was christened at St. Giles's, Cripplegate, in December 1593. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Thomasyn Tomsett (marriage to John Peacock), which was dated 11th February 1593, St. Giles, Cripplegate, London, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, 'Good Queen Bess', 1558 - 1603. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.