Meddemmen

This unusual surname is of early medieval English origin, and is a variant of the more familiar Maidman, Maidenman, itself an occupational name for a servant employed by a (young) woman or at a convent, deriving from the Middle English "maiden", with "man". The surname is first recorded in the latter part of the 13th Century (below), and further early examples include: Robert Maideneman (Sussex, 1327), and William Maidemen (Surrey, 1332). Job-descriptive surnames originally denoted the actual occupation of the namebearer, and later became hereditary. It is also possible that Meddemmen originated as a nickname for a particularly chivalrous gentleman; one especially attentive to the desires of young women. These nicknames were given in the first instance with reference to occupations, and to a variety of personal characteristics, such as physical attributes or peculiarities, mental and moral qualities, and to habits of dress and behaviour. The surname is now recorded in English Church Registers under the variant spellings: Meadman, Medeman, Meedman, Middiman and Meddemmen. On January 31st 1871, Mary Anne, daughter of William Meddemmen, was christened at All Saints, Stepney, London. The Coat of Arms most associated with the name is an azure shield with three green laurel slips on a gold chevron between three doves proper. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Richard Maydenemon, which was dated 1275, in the "Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire", during the reign of King Edward 1, known as "The Hammer of the Scots", 1272 - 1307. 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.