Recorded in several forms including: Tander, Tender, Tunder, Thunder, the patronymic Thunders, and the occupational Thunderman, this wonderful old surname is recorded both in England and Ireland. It has two possible origins. Firstly it may derive from the French job descriptive word 'tondeur' and mean one who sheared, or more likely who manufactured shears. This occupation itself would suggest a possible link with the famous Flemish Weavers of the 13th century who were prominent in the city of Norwich. This is also partly confirmed by the form as Thunderman, meaning "the man who worked for the tondeur," an example being Henrye Thunderman who married Elizabeth Dekon at the church of St Mary Magdalene, London, on July 6th 1610. The second possible origin is from the Olde English word "tunder", and describing a worker who poured the wine into "tuns", the large barrels used for moving liquors around the countryside. The family of Thunder were prominent in Dublin, Ireland. A coat of arms being granted to Francis Thunder, a prominent merchant of that city in 1619. The surname is also recorded in France, an example being Claude Tondeur, who was a witness at Laloeuf, Meurthe-et-Moselle, on March 14th 1676, whilst Pierret Tondeur who married Abraham Wright at St Pancras Old Church, London on November 3rd 1794, may have been a refugee from the French Revolution of 1792. The first recorded spelling of the family name is that of Edward le Tunder, the bailliff of the city of Norwich, in the year 1237. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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