Isworth

This is a dialectually transposed spelling of Ixworth, a village in Suffolk near Bury St. Edmunds. The origin is Olde English pre 7th Century and the name means "the dweller at the wood (word) on the water (ise)". Locational names were usually given to former inhabitants who moved to another area, unless they were the Lords of the Manor, in which case they either took the name or even gave the name to the village. The original recordings in this case suggest that the village was "church" owned i.e John de Ixworth, 1360, Rector of Threxton, in Norfolk, unless it was a "family" parish. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William de Ixworth. which was dated 1315, Vicar of Little Melton, Norwich. during the reign of King Edward II, Edward of Caernafon, 1307 - 1327. 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.