Olding

This name, widely recorded in church registers of Eling, Hampshire from the mid 16th Century is believed to be of locational origin from a place thus called in that county. The component elements are the Olde English pre 7th Century "alde" meaning "old", used here to distinguish an older from a younger bearer of the same given name, plus the Olde English "ing" translating variously as "sons", "dependants", or "people of" when attached to a personal name; hence, "the place of Alde's people". On October 26th 1544 Joane Olding, an infant was christened in Eling and on March 16th 1588 Elizabeth Olding and John Metier were married in the above parish. One of the earliest recordings of the name in London was the christening of one, Sarah Olding in St. Bride's, Fleet Street, on December 14th 1634. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Olding, (christened), which was dated February 2nd 1540, Eling, Hampshire, during the reign of Henry VIII, "Bluff King Hal", 1509 - 1547. 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.