Points

This is a medieval occupational surname. It is recorded in the spellings of Point, Points, Pointer and Poynter and Poyntz. "Points" were a kind of tagged lace or cord of twisted yarn, silk, or leather used for fastening together the doublet and hose worn in the Middle Ages. Falstaff in the act of saying "Their points being broken", is interrupted by the remark "Down fell their hose" in William Shakespears play Henry IV Part I. The derivation of the name is from the pre 10th century Old French "Pointe" meaning a sharp or pointed end, and ultimately from the Latin "puncta", to pierce. The name may also be occupational in another sense. In medieval roofing, it was usual for all the layers of tiles to be "pointed" or rendered with mortar, and this work called "pointing" was recorded as early as 1265. Early recordings of the family name include Benedict le Puintur, which was dated 1206, in the "Pipe Rolls" of Berkshire, whilst Hugo Poyntz, whose family held lands in Devon, served in Ireland in 1210 . This was during the reign of the infamous King John of England. He was unfortunate in some ways in inheriting a kingdom largely bankrupted by the popular King Richard, Coeur de lion'. He left large debts from his wars to free the Holy land. Throughout the centuries surnames in every country have continued to "develop", often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.