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Are all Toynbees related? This rare surname originated in the county of Lincolnshire, England, but many Toynbees emigrated from the 18th century onward and there are now Toynbees all over the world. The most famous of our family is the historian Arnold J. Toynbee (1889-1975), whose best-known work is the 12-volume Study of History. Although Toynbee is now the best-known spelling, records show many variants including Toinby and Tenby, possibly even Tumby. Toyne and Toynton are also Lincolnshire surnames. What does Toynbee mean? It's a place name. The Toyn- in Toynbee or Toynton may well come from a name, Teoda or Tota, with the -ing suffix ("connected with"). The suffix -bee or -by in Toynbee or Tumby means farmstead or settlement in Old Norse, while the English -ton means town — perhaps Toynton was anglicized from Toynby. In Lincolnshire today, there is a triangle of Toynton and Tumby placenames, about 15km apart. Clicking on their links will show you maps.
- High Toynton and Low Toynton are the furthest North, just outside Horncastle near the junction of A153 and A158. The Roman town of Horncastle is about 30km inland along the A158 from the coastal town of Skegness.
- Toynton St Peter, Toynton All Saints, Toynton Ings (an Ing is a low pasture or meadow) and Toynton Fen Side are the furthest East, just south of the junction of B1195 and A16 at Spilsby, and now about 20km inland from The Wash.
- Tumby is at the junction of A153 and A155, and Tumby Woodside is nearby. These are about 15km from both High Toynton and Toynton All Saints, and now about 20km inland from The Wash. Perhaps Tumby is a variant of Toynbee.
The contact information below is for FamilyTreeDNA, the company that organizes our DNA testing and hosts this website. For information specifically on the Toynbee Surname Project, please contact the Group Administrator.