This surname is derived from a nickname. 'the thin,' i.e. lean, slender. Middle English thinne and thymic.

'My tale is don, for my wit is but thinne.': Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales. compare Thick, Large, Small, Bigg, Little, Fatt, &c. The old orthography has been maintained in this name. For a strange but unconfirmed story of a local origin, viz. 'John of th' Inne,' one of the Inns of Court, v. Lower's Patronymic Britannia Until better proof is shown we may be content with the satisfactory derivation given above.

Thomas Thynne, Northamptonshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

1577. Francis Thynne, Wiltshire: Register of the University of Oxford.

1583. Henry Thynne, Wiltshire: ibid.

1758. Married — John Thinn and Sarah Gee: St. George, Hanover Square.

Dynne occurs as name of a witness in an Old English charter of A.D. 808 (Birch, Cartularium Saxonicum, 326). Adam Thyn was a charter witness in Glasgow, 1456 (LCD., p. 180). Gilbert Thyne was one of the indwellers in the Ouertoune of Blannyslie, 1547 (RRM., III, p. xxxvii). William Thin in Haddington owns the king, 1567 (RPC., I, p. 558), Alexander Thin, one of assize in Aberdeen, 1596 (SCM., I, p. 116), Andrew Thinne was litster in Edinburgh, 1647 (Edinb. Marr.), John Thin was portioner of Blainslie, 1662 (RRM., II, p. 4), and Leonard Thinn is recorded in Blyth, 1668 (Lauder). Messrs. Thin, an old established firm of booksellers in Edinburgh.

The family of Thynne are a branch of the ancient house of Botfield or Botevile. The origin of this surname is very singular. About the reign of Edward IV. the elder branch of the Boteviles or Botfields of Stretton in Shropshire, where the family had flourished from the XIII. century, began, for some unexplained reason, to write themselves De le Inn, De la Inne, and Of the Inne; and this last form, in a generation or two, settled down into Thynne. Mr. Ralph Bigland, Somerset Herald, affirms that the alias originated with John de Bottevile, who resided at one of the Inns of Court, and from thence was named John of th' Inne, otherwise Thynne. But the historian of the family remarks, that there is no evidence that the person referred to ever dwelt at any of the inns of court, though it is certain that "he lived in the family house at Church-Stretton, and that he was familiarly known as John o' th' Inne, which, abbreviated, became Thynne, though John de la Inne de Botfelde, was his usual appellation." It appears that this mansion was anciently called The Inn, and hence the name. From this elder branch of the Botfeldes sprang the Thynnes (Marquis of Bath) and from the younger branch came the family of Botfield. See Stemmata Botevilliana. By Beriah Botfield, Esq., M.P., &c. London. 4to. 1858.

The same as Thynne. The latter name is said to have originated with the ancient house of Botfield or Botevile. The alias is said to have originated with John de Botteville, who lived at the family house at Church-Stretton, who was familiarly known as John o' th' Inne, which abbreviated became Thynne, though John de la Inne de Botfelde was his usual appellation. It seems that the house in question was called "The Inn."

From the Dutch, Thijn; from the German, Thien; from the French, Thin; a personal name.