Tillotson
A patronymic surname meaning “son of Tillot,” with Tillot likely a pet form ultimately connected to Matilda.
The #7,972 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 74,414 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The name is usually explained as “son of Tillot,” where Tillot is a medieval diminutive of Till. Till itself was used as a short form of Matilda, a very common given name in medieval England. So the surname began as a matronymic, built from a woman’s name rather than a man’s.
History
Historical dictionaries place the name in Yorkshire by the late 14th century, including a Johannes Tillotson in the 1379 Poll Tax. It is one of a group of English surnames formed from pet forms of given names, especially those ending in -ot or -et. The name remained especially associated with northern England and later spread more widely in Britain and beyond.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Unlike most surnames, this one seems to preserve a woman’s given name at its root, via Matilda.
From the historical record
“q.v. TILLOTSON, Tillot's Son. JohaHnes Tillotson.— Yorks Poll-Tax, A,D. 1379. Tills 224”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)