Salmons

This interesting name was introduced into England by the Crusaders in the 11th - 13th Century. It is a derivative of the ancient Hebrew greeting "shalom" meaning "peace be with you", and in this form was a popular medieval personal name. In addition the word was used as a metonymic for "a learned person" such as a Cleric, Chaplain or Clerk. The surname eventually gained the same popularity as the personal name, seventeen modern variants being recorded including Salman, Samman, Sammonds etc.. The recordings include - Saloman of Yorkshire in the Domesday Book of 1086, although this is probably a given name, not a surname, and Thomas Salamon of Salmans (village) in Penshurst, kent, circa 1315. This location name may itself be a source of "Salamons". The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Roger Salmon, which was dated circa 1210, The Pipe Rolls of Bedfordshire, during the reign of King John known as "Lackland", 1199 - 1216. 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.