Boydon

Recorded in several spellings including Boyden, Boydon, Boynton and Boyton, this is an English locational surname. It originates from any or all of the various places called Boyton in the counties of Cornwall, Essex, and Wilstshire, Boyden in the counties of Suffolk, Kent and Hertford, or Boynton in the county of East Yorkshire. All share the same general meaning of either Boia's hill, or more usually Boia's village (tun), with Boia being an early English tribe of the pre 7th century found throughout most of East Anglia region, and as far north as Yorkshire. It is true that there is some confusion and overlap with the early Norman personal name Baudin, and it is possible that some modern nameholders do originate from this name variously recorded as Bodin, Bowdin, and Bowden. Early examples of the surname recording include John Boydon in the Friary Rolls for Yorkshire in the year 1401, and later in the survivingf church registers of the city of London, Alse Boyton, who married Martin Dennington at St Brides, Fleet Street, on June 15th 1595. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Robert Bodin. This was dated 1201, in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire during the reign of King John of England, 1199-1216. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was sometimes known as the Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.