This interesting name derives from the Olde English pre 7th Century "tigel", meaning tile, plus "wyrhta", a craftsman (a derivative of "wyrcan", to work or make), and was originally given as an occupational name to a maker of tiles. In medieval times widespread use was made of tiles in floors and pavements, and to a lesser extent in roofing. The occupation "tigel-wyrtha" is referred to in an Anglo-Saxon Gospel (Matthew, XXVII) and in the York Mystery Plays they are styled "Tielmakers or Tilethekkers" i.e. tile - thatchers. The surname is first recorded in the latter half of the 13th Century, (see below). The variant spellings Tellright, Telright and Tilright are particularly well recorded in London Church Registers from the late 16th Century. On October 8th 1587, Daniel Tellright, an infant, was christened in St. Bride's, Fleet Street. On September 27th 1873, Thomas Tellwright and Ann Bishop were married in Manchester Cathedral, Lancashire. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Simon le Tywelwrighte, Hampshire, which was dated 1280, "Middle English surnames of Occupation", by G. Fransson, during the reign of King Edward I, 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.

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