Margerrison

This is a surname which is both English and Scottish, but ultimately far back in time, Persian! Recorded as Margerson, Margerrison, Marjerrison, Marjorison, Margesson and others, it is a metronymic. That is to say it is a name which derives from a female originally called in this case Margerie, rather than a male or fathers name. Introduced by returning Crusaders soldiers from the Holy Land in the 12th century, the origins are from the Greek name Margaretes, meaning a pearl, but ultimately from a Persian word meaning "child of light". One of the first recordings is that of John Margerie in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195, whilst Robert Majorison was recorded in the Poll Tax returns for the county of Yorkshire, where the name is still particularly popular, in 1379. Other recordings include Johan Margerson and Raybrowne Wright who were married at Birstall, near Leeds, Yorkshire, on May 5th 1563, whilst Thomas Margerison and Margaret Buckley were married at Tottenham, Middlesex, on December 2nd 1594, the christening of Elizabeth Margeryson took place on April 2nd 1597, at St. Giles' Cripplegate; and the christening of Gilles Margerison on November 8th 1600, also at St. Giles' Cripplegate. 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.