The odd thing about this name is that it appears Germanic and yet all indications are that it has been known in several alternative spellings in England since the 12th Century. There are two possible origins, the first being that the name is job descriptive and means the servant or friend of 'Tidd' - a Saxon personal name, the second is that the name refers to the Head of a Tithing, an Old English pre 8th Century settlement of ten families. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Tethingman Le Auste (the Austrian). which was dated 1272, The Hundred Rolls of Gloucester. during the reign of King Edward 1 The Hammer of the Scots 1272 - 1307. 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.