Tessier
A French occupational surname meaning “weaver,” from an old regional word for someone who worked at the loom.
The #7,563 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 70,265 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Tessier is a French occupational surname built on an old regional word meaning “weaver” or “one who weaves.” Historical sources note that in Berry and Provence, forms like tessier, texer, and teisser were used for a tisserand, a weaver. The surname therefore points to an ancestor identified by textile work.
History
The name is established in French-speaking areas and appears in older surname studies alongside related forms such as Texier. Like many occupational surnames, it could arise independently in different places where the same trade name was used. It also appears among French refugee families who settled in England in the early 18th century.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same root shows how closely medieval surnames were tied to everyday work: a Tessier was essentially a “person at the loom.”
From the historical record
“TERRY ((g.), Thierry or Theodorich. (v. Dirckinck.) TERTRE, du (f.), of the Hilloch. {v. de la Motte and le Run.) TESSIER and Texier {£.), Weaver, (v. Weber.) TESTA D'ORO (3t.), Head of Gold. (v. Kops.) , THISTLETIIWAYTE ((£.), Thistle assart, (v. von Nesselrath and Thwaites.) THORP (©.), Village, (v. van Dorp.)…”
— Surnames