Edmund

This very rare and unusual surname is a variant of Edmond, which is of Anglo-Saxon and Old French origin, and is derived from the Middle English (1200-1500) given name "Edmund", itself from the Olde English pre 7th Century "Eadmund", composed of the elements "ead", meaning prosperity or fortune, and "mund", meaning protection. In medieval England and France the name was often bestowed in honour of the East Anglian King, St. Edmund the Martyr (deceased 869), who was killed by pagan Danish invaders, and about whom many legends grew up. The personal name is distinguished by being first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Edmundus", and the patronymic was first recorded in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379 with one Robert Edmondson. The modern patronymics include Edmenson, Edmonds, Edmunds, Edmonson and Edminson. Recorded in the Yorkshire Church Registers are the christenings of Mary, daughter of John Edmenson, on February 28th 1751, at Hackness, and of John, son of John and Ann Edmenson, on November 10th 1799, at Cloughton. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Nicholaus Edmundus, which was dated 1210, in the "Curia Regis Rolls of Cambridgeshire", during the reign of King John, known as "Lackland", 1199-1216. 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.