Aslen

This interesting surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and has two possible sources, the first being from a topographcial name for someone who lived by the hazels, derived from the Old English pre 7th Century "hoeslum", from "hoesel", hazel. The second source is locational from a place so called in Lancashire, derived from the Old English "hoeslum", as before. Locational surnames were developed when former inhabitants of a place moved to another area, usually to seek work, and were best identified by the name of their birthplace. The surname development since 1246 (see below) includes the following: Hugh de Hesellym (1246, Lancashire) and Benjamin Aslin (1674, Suffolk). The modern surname can be found as Haslam, Haslum, Jaslem, Haslen, Hesl(eh)am, Aslam, Aslum and Aslen. Among the reocrdings in Lancashire are the marriages of George Haslam and Dorothy Sharples on August 16th 1594, and of Geffray Haslam and Jany Frost on July 24th 1613 at Bury. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Hugh de Haslum, which was dated 1246, in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire, during the reign of King Henry 111, known as "The Frenchman", 1216 - 1272. 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.