Burgoyne

This interesting name was introduced into England by the Normans after the Conquest of 1066. It is a French regional surname denoting someone from Burgundy, a region in Eastern France having the town of Dijon as its centre. The Olde French form of the name was "Bourgogne", and during its development in England, the name has accumulated eight variations, from "Burgoin, Burgoyne and Burgoine", to "Burgin, Burgon, and Burgwin". The area in France takes its name from the "Burgundii", a Germanic tribe who invaded the region in circa 480. The Duchy of Burgundy, created in 877 by Charles 11, King of the West Franks, was very powerful in the later Middle Ages. One "Richard Burgoyne" was Rector of Newton in Norfolk in 1567. On March 24th 1601, Mary, daughter of Robert Burgoyne was christened in Braunton, Devon. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Walter Bergoin, which was dated 1086, The Domesday Book, Devonshire, during the reign of King William 1, The Conqueror, 1066 - 1087. 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.