Bown

This unusual and interesting surname has two possible origins, the first of which is Norman, French, and derives from a nickname for a "good" person, from the Old French "bon", good, from the Latin "bonus". The name was introduced into England after the Norman Conquest of 1066, and may have been bestowed in a complimentary or ironic sense on a "good" person. The second possible source is also from a nickname, of Anglo-Saxon origin, which is found recorded mainly in the north of England, as "Bain", and was given to an exceptionally tall, lean person. The derivation is from the Olde English pre 7th century "ban", bone, in northern dialects the long "a" was preserved, whereas in the southern dialect it was charged to an "o" sound. The modern variants of the surname from both sources include Bone, Bunn, Bonn, Boon(e), and Ba(yne). One Roger Bone is recorded in the 1273 Hundred Rolls of Kent. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Edward le Bon, which was dated 1204, The Oxfordshire Curia Rolls, 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.