Worling

This most interesting and unusual surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and derives from an Olde English pre 7th Century personal name which is composed of the Germanic elements "war(in)", guard, plus "heri, hari", army, which was introduced into England by the Normans, in the aftermath of the Conquest of 1066. The surname itself may contain a shortened form of any one of the personal names Wilhere, Wulfred, Wulffrith and Werwulf, plus the suffix "-ing", "people of", which are found in the following placenames: Worlington, Worlingham and Worlingworth in Suffolk, and Worlington in Devonshire. Early examples of the surname include the marriage of Solomon Warling and Elizabeth Wheatley on November 7th 1682 at the Church of St. James', Duke's Place, in London; the marriage of Elizabeth Worling and Stephen Henten on September 23rd 1705 at Worlingham in Suffolk; and the adult christening of Samuel Worling on February 27th 1711 at St. Giles Cripplegate, London. The name is also found recorded in Germany: the marriage at Chemnitz, Lippersdorf, Sachsen (Germany) of Johann Worling and Eva Fisher in 1767. A Coat of Arms depicting a gold wheel, with two gold stars in chief, on a blue shield was granted to a Worlin family in Strasbourg, France. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Robarte Wurlinge, which was dated January 1578, christening witness, at St. Margaret's, Westminster, London, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1, known as "Good Queen Bess", 1558 - 1603. 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.