The TILROE and TIELROOIJ surnames both originate on the former island of Walcheren, in the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands. All variant forms may ultimately derive from [VAN TIELRO], referring to Tielrode - a small village just south-east (and now part of) Temse, Belgium, around the late 16th and early 17th centuries, likely during the Eighty Years' War. It is not clearly known if they share a common genetic paternal ancestor, although initial results indicate that it is unlikely.