Timberlake: The name definition

"TIMBERLAKE" is an English place name acquired from once having lived at a place called Timberlake in Worcestershire [England]. The fourteenth century spelling was "Tymberlake". The meaning is from the Old English word TIMBER "wooden building" and the Anglo-Saxon word LACU, originally a "wet place" but later a "large pool".

John de Tymberlake lived in Staffordshire in 1280. The 1790 North Carolina and Virginia census records lists one family of the name in North Carolina and ten in Virginia.

The Timberlake "Coat of Arms", illustrated by an heradric artist, employs symbols upon a shield following the traditional system of heraldry which originated in midieval times. Heraldry, which developed among the nobles in the 11th Century, was instituted primarily for the purpose of distinguishing one man in armor from another during the confusion of battle. The heradric symbols, or charged, chosen by an individual for his personal coat of arms could reflect his heritage, achievement, rank, occupation or personal characteristics.

Individual surnames originated for the purpose of more specific identification. The four primary sources for second names were: occupation, location, father's name and personal characteristics. According to Elsdon C. Smith's New Dictionary of American Family Names, the surname Timberlake is locational in origin and meant, "one who came from Timberlake, (wooded stream)." This and other sources placed the name originally in England. The most common variation of Timberlake is Timblick. The Timberlake Coat of Arms is based on information derived from its meaning, linguistics or historical interpretation.

Heraldric artists of old derived their own unique language to describe an individual Coat of Arms. In the traditional language of heraldry, the Timberlake Coat of Arms would be described as:

"Divided by a wavy horizontal line placed lower than usual on the shield; 1st, divided vertically, a) argent; a magna carta ppr. between two roses divided vertically gu. and arg,; b) gu.; charged with a tree sign ppr.; 2nd. az."

TRANSLATION and INTERPRETATION:

The Timberlake Coat of Arms is divided horizontally by a wavy line, representing water; the upper part is divided vertically; the left half has a silver background, signifying peace and sincerity, on which is a representation of the Magna Carta and two roses, divided vertically red and white, symbolic of the War of the Roses, both referring to the history of England, country of origin of the name; the right half bears the botanical sign for a tree; the bottom part of the shield is blue, signifying water.