Retallack

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ORIGIN AND HISTORY

The surname Retallack comes from the area of Cornwall in the United Kingdom, and can be traced back to the late 15th century. The original form of the name Talek. The prefix "Re" probably means something along the lines of "those," and Talek comes from a term for "high forehead," thus making is a surname that was given to people with the distinctive feature of having a high forehead. It has a cognate Welsh form, "Tallwch". There are also many places in Cornwall called Talek or Retallack, but it is likely that they were named for people of the family, rather than the other way around.^[1]

Another possible origin stems from the word attal, which was the name for alluvial tin mines. The name may possibly have derived from people who worked in the mines or were otherwise associated with the mines.^[1]

Another source gives the meaning of the name as "the ford at the steep slope," with res meaning "ford" and talek meaning "steep slope."^[1]

POPULARITY

According to WhitePages.com, Retallack is the 78,755th most common surname in the United States. The highest concentration of people with this last name is to be found in Pennsylvania.^[1]

According to Greg Retallack's extensive article on the surname, many Retallacks left the UK and came to the United States and Australia. He claims there are currently more Retallacks in Australia than anywhere else, with the U.S. in second place and Great Britain coming in third. Much of the emigration from Cornwall occurred in the 19th century.^[1]

FACTS

• In some versions of the Arthurian story of Tristan and Isolde, Tristan is referred to as "son of Tallwch," implying this legendary lover may have been part of this family line.^[1]

NAMESAKES

• Retallack: skiing and snowboarding travel agency
• The Retallack School of Arms, Martial Arts academy, Portland, Oregan
• Retallack Resort and Spa, Cornwall
• Borlasevath And Retallack Moor, Cornwall Site of Special Scientific Interest

FAMOUS PERSONS

• Dr. Diane Retallack: artistic director of the Eugene Concert Choir
• E.G. Retallack Hooper: Cornish language writer, 20th century
• Greg Retallack: Geologist
• Joan Retallack: author
• John Retallack: photographer
• Simon Retallack: climate change expert

Author: Sarena Emily Levinson

NOTES