Poon

Recorded in many spelling forms including Pond, Ponde, Poon, Poone, Pound, Pounder, Pounds, Pund, this is an English medieval surname. It may be topographical and describe a person who lived by a pond, but as there were so many ponds it is more likely to derive from the pre 7th century word "pund", meaning a pound, or to come from a place called Pound, of which there are several examples around the country. A pund or pound was a walled enclosure, usually with one entrance, and of which a number of fine examples still exist. Here stray animals were 'impounded' until collected by their owners, who then had to pay a fine to the Pounder, a job descriptive surname. An alternative occupational origin which will certainly apply to some nameholders, is that the name describes a skilled iron worker, one who was responsible for manufacturing the ancient weights and measures known as 'pounds'. The derivation being again from a word spelt 'pund', although obviously the meaning is quite different. The surname is perhaps not surprisingly very early, with Ralph le Pundere being recorded in the pipe rolls of the county of Westmoreland in the year 1176, William Punder is recorded in the Curia Regis rolls for Yorkshire in 1212, and John Ponde in the Pipe rolls of Essex in 1262. Early examples of the surname include William de Pond of Suffolk in 1190, William Pund of Kent in 1206, Ralph de Punda of the county of Hampshire in the tax rolls known as 'The Feet of Fines' in 1242, and Edward Poone who married Elizabeth Delve at St James church, Dukes Place, Westminster, on November 12th 1665.