Panons

This interesting and unusual name is a variant form of 'Pinon', the French form of the more familiar English name 'Pine', which is a topographical surname for 'a dweller at the sign of the pine tree'. Topographical surnames were among the earliest created, since both natural and man-made features in the landscape provided easily recognisable distinguishing names. The surname is only found in France as Panon, and is first recorded in the late 16th Century (see below), it does not appear as Panons until the mid 19th Century when the name first appears in London. Among the sample recordings in London are the marriage of Henry Panons and Dorothy Josling Wright on November 8th 1840 at St. Leonard's, Shoreditch, and the christening of James John Alfred Panons, son of Henry and Mary Panons, on March 2nd 1851 at St. Anne's, Soho, Westminster. One Louisa, daughter of George and Sarah Panons, was christened on May 3rd 1875 at St. Luke's Westminster, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Catherine Panon (christening), which was dated January 12th 1580, Ste. Marie, Var Toulon, France, during the reign of King Henry 111 of France, 1574-1589. 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.