Topsail was probably named for nearby Topsail Head, which is visible from the opposite site of the Bay. The Head is identified on eighteenth-century maps of Conception Bay, but there is no record of settlement before about 1820 (although Topsail Beach was used as a summer fishing station in 1815). The first settlers were from Portugal Cove: Philip Churchill, Joseph Miller and the Allen brothers. They were soon joined by families from Harbour Grace such as the O'Briens, Geehans and Nevilles. Other traditional family names of Topsail include Barnes, Carter, Chaytor, Fowler, Hibbs, Mercer, Metcalfe, Smith and Snow.