Recorded in a wide variety of spellings this is believed to be a Cornish surname. The spellings are believed to include Tripcany, Tripcony, and outside of Cornwall, Tripney, Tripony, Tripooney, Trefony, Trephoney, and others, although some at least may possibly have other origins. It is locational from a place now apparently called Trekenning at the village of St Columb Major, but which in Elizabethan times was known as Tripconnynge. It may derive from 'conyn' meaning a rabbit and 'tre', a place. The surname as Tripcony is well recorded in Cornwall, although very rare elsewhere where other spellings seem to be in use. These early recordings include James Trypconye who in 1579 was the deputy sherriff of the Helford River, and responsible for suppressing piracy. It must have been a thankless task! Out of the county and in the city of London amongst the rare recordings is that of Sarah Tripony who married Charles Webb at St Dunstans in the East, Stepney, on September 25th 1783.