Surcombe

This unusual surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is a locational name from either of two places called Seacombe, one in Cheshire, and the other partly in Wytham parish, Berkshire, and partly in Oxfordshire, which derive their name from the Olde English pre 7th Century "sae", sea, and "cumb", valley, or from a minor place in Devonshire, so called from the Olde English personal name "Secca", with "cumb" (as above). Locational surnames, such as this, were originally given to local landowners, and the lord of the manor, and especially as a means of identification to those who left their birthplace to settle elsewhere. Regional and dialectal differences subsequently gave rise to several variations on the original spelling of the name, which, in the modern idiom, is found as: Seccomb(e), Seacomb(e), Siccombe, Seckom, Sercomb(e), Sircomb(e) and Surcomb(e), the intrusive "r" in the latter three examples was introduced to make for easier pronunciation. Recordings from Devonshire Church Registers include: the christening of John Secombe, an infant, on January 19th 1541; the marriage of Joane Sircombe to Henry Berry at Paignton, on November 9th 1589; and the marriage of William Sercombe to Agnes Amerie at Bridford, on October 27th 1646. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William Seccombe, which was dated 1412, recorded at Seccombe, Devonshire, during the reign of King Henry 1V, known as "Henry of Bolingbroke", 1399 - 1413. 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.