This most interesting surname may have derived from three possible sources. Firstly, it may come from Tiddy, Tidd or Tidy which are pet forms of "Tiffany", which is itself from the medieval English female given name "Tiffania", from the Old French "Tiphaine", adopted from the Greek "Theophania", composed of the elements "theos", God and "phainein", to appear. Alternatively, Tidey may have been a nickname for a handsome or admirable person, or probably one who was neat in appearance or habit, from the Olde English "tid", Middle English "tidi", fine, excellent. Finally, the surname may have been a topographical name for a dweller by the river "Tiddy" in Cornwall, recorded in 1018 as "Tudi" in "English River-names", and which derives its name from the Welsh "tud", meaning "good". On November 5th 1559, John Tydie married Elizabeth Williams at St. Mary at Hill, London, while Richard and Thomas, sons of William Tydie, were christened at St. Martin Ludgate, London on July 4th 1591 and February 3rd 1593 respectively. Rebecca Tidey married David Watson on February 10th 1711 at St. Martin in the Fields, Westminster. Alfred Tidey (1808 - 1892) was a painter of miniatures for Queen Victoria. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Stephen Tydy, which was dated 1353, in the "Close Rolls", during the reign of King Edward 111, known as "The Father of the Navy", 1327 - 1377. 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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