This unusual name has Olde English pre 7th Century origins and derives from one of the village names of Yorkshire either Tanton or Tansterne. In both cases the meaning is probably the same being 'the farm' (tun) by the river (tame or tham). The village name developments include 'Tausterne' recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book and 'Tametun' in the 1170 Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, in the reign of Henry II (1154 - 1189). The name recordings and development include John Tinson who married John Roafe at All Hallows, London on June 13th 1619 and Jane Tenston who was christened on the 16th of November 1690 at St. Annes, Blackfriars. The modern spellings are Tinson, Tinton and Tinston, all are quite rare. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Margery Tyntun, which was dated October 30th 1554, married Emery Pausforth at Westminster, during the reign of King Edward VI, The Boy King, 1548 - 1554. 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.