Thorowgood

Recorded in many forms as shown below, this is an English medieval surname. It originates from the Northern English given name "Thurgod" itself from the pre 7th century Norse-Viking "Thorgautr". This is composed of the elements "Thor", the name of the god of thunder, and "gautr", from Geatas, a Scandinavian tribal name. There is also a possibility that the modern surname could at least for some nameholders derive from the English word "thurogh" meaning completely, and "gode" meaning good or "completely good". This suggests, given the robust humour of those medieval times, a nickname perhaps for someone who was not "completely good." Early examples of recordings include William Togod in the Hundred Rolls of Somerset in 1327. The name spellings are known to include Thurgood, Thoroughgood, Thorowgood, Throwgood, Toogood, Towgood, Thorgood, Thurgood and Thurgate, and early examples of random recordings include John Thorogood, at Christchurch Greyfriars, on May 15th 1576 and Alice Thorogood, who was christened at St. Peter's Cornhill, both in the city of London on November 28th 1596. Adam Thorowgood, aged 18 yrs., was recorded in a "Muster of the Inhabitants of Virginia" in 1621, having come over in the ship "Charles". The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Alicia Thurgod. This was dated 1273, in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, during the reign of King Edward 1st of England, 1272 - 1307. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was sometimes known as the Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.