Burress

This interesting and unusual name is a variant form of the more familiar surname 'Burrows' or 'Burrough(e)s', also found as 'Burrus', 'Burris', 'Burriss', 'Burress' and Borrows'. There are two possible origins for the name, the first of which is an Anglo-Saxon, topographical name for someone who lived by a hill or tumulus, derived from the Old English pre 7th Century 'beorg', hill, mountain, or, in some cases, for someone who lived by a fort, form the Old English 'burh', fort, usually a Roman fortification. A second possible derivation of the modern surname is from the Old English 'bur', bower, cottage, with 'hus', house, the surname from this source meaning either 'dweller at the bower-house', or used as an occupational surname for someone employed there. The marriage of John Burress and Bridgett Howard was recorded at St. Dunstan's, Stepney, in London, on January 6th 1658. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John de Burhus, which was dated 1440, Sheffield Manorial Records, during the reign of King Henry V1, 'The Founder of Eton', 1422-1461. 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.