Lownds

There are two possible sources for this name, the first and most generally applicable being from the medieval personal name "Lovin". This derives from the Old English pre 7th Century "Leofhun", which is composed of the elements "leof" meaning "dear beloved", and "hun", meaning "bear cub". The second source is a habitation name from the city of Louvain in Belgium, (Flemish name "Leuven"). Habitation names were often given to those who left their original residence and went to live or work in another village or town, or possibly in this case country. The "s" of Lownd(e)s is the patronymic form, meaning "son of". George Lownds married Elizabeth Thomas on the 1st October 1626, at St. Dunstan's Church, Stepney, London. On October 24th 1697, Elizabeth Lowndes married John Walsh at St. Martin in the Fields, Westminster while on October 29th 1866, the daughter of John and Elizabeth Lowndes, Florence Augusta was christened at St. Pancras Old Church London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Ann Lownde, christened, which was dated 14th March 1545, during the reign of King Henry V111, known as "Bluff King Hal", 1509 - 1547. 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.