Erwin

This interesting surname is of Anglo-Saxon, Scottish and Irish origin. Firstly, it may originate from the Middle English personal name Irwyn, Erwyn and Everwyn, from the old English pre 7th Century personal name "Eoforwine", composed of the elements "eofor" meaning wild boar plus "wine" friend. "Eueruinus" (without surname) appears in the 1086 Domesday Book of Norfolk. The second source is Scottish and is locational from Irvine in Strathclyde or from a Celtic river name, with the component elements being the Welsh "ir" or "yr" meaning fresh or green plus "afon" water. The third source is Irish and is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic "O' hEireamhoin" meaning "descendant of Eireamhan", a personal name of uncertain origin. One, Eustace Everwyn, appears in the 1310 Calendar of Letter Books, Devonshire. In the modern idiom, the surname has many variant spellings including Everwin, Irwine, Irwing, Urwin, Irvine, Erwin, etc.. On October 7th 1565 Elene Orwin was christened at St. Margarets church, Westminster. Her father's name is recorded as Thomas Orwyn, so perhaps "Elen" was the first in the new spelling form. On January 2nd 1680, Adam, son of James and Prudence Irwin, was christened at St. Dunstan's, Stepney and John Irwin and Ellinor Harding were married at St. James Dukes Place, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Robert de Hierwyn (a witness), which was dated 1226, at Dumfriesshire, Scotland, during the reign of King Alexander 11 of Scotland, 1214 - 1249. 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.