Morling

This interesting surname is of English origin, however, the source of the name is uncertain. The surname could be a double diminutive of the medieval given name "more", a moor, a Negro, derived from the Latin "Maurus". The name was originally given as a nickname for a man of swarthy complexion. The given name was introduced into England by the Normans, after the Invasion of 1066, but it was never as popular in England as it was on the Continent. During the Middle Ages the name was mainly confined to Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Kent, but now it is found in every part of Britain. The surnames Moore and Morrell are also derived from the given name "More". The modern surname can be found as Morling and Morlin. The christening was recorded in Suffolk of George, son of George and Mary Morling, on August 2nd 1770 at St. Matthew, Ipswich. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Huga Morlynge, which was dated 1273, Cottenham, Cambridgeshire, during the reign of King Edward 1, "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.