Wain

This interesting name is of early medieval origin and is a metonymic occupational name for a carter, a driver of a wain or waggon, and sometimes for a waggon-builder. The derivation is from the Olde English pre 7th Century "Waegn", "Waegen", Middle English "Wain", meaning "cart" or "waggon". In some cases, the modern surnames, which can be found as "Wain(e)", "Waines" and "Wayne", may derive from a topographical name, used to denote residence at a house distinguished with the sign of the "Wain". This was probably so from the constellation of the Plough, known in the Middle Ages as "Charles's Wain", referring to the Charlemagne. One John Attenwayne (1327, Derbyshire) is named from this source. Church recordings include one Margaret Wayne who married Morgayne Cotterell on January 30th 1568 at St. Dionis Backchurch, London, and Mary, daughter of John and Elizabeth Wain who was christened on October 10th 1652 at St. Dunstan's, Stepney. One John Waine and his wife Amyte are recorded as early setters in Virginia in 1624, having arrived in 1618. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Wayn, which was dated 1319, The Essex Fees Court Records, during the reign of King Edward 1st, Edward of Caernafon, 1307 - 1327. 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.