This interesting and ancient surname is of Old French origin, and is a regional name given to someone who came from Burgundy, in France (from the Old French "Bourgogne") a region of East France having Dijon as its centre. The area was invaded by the Burgundii, a Germanic tribe from which it takes its name, circa 480 A.D. The duchy of Burgundy, created in 877 by Charles 11, King of the West Franks, was extremely powerful in the later Middle Ages, especially under Philip the Bold (1342 - 1404). The surname was introduced into England by the Normans after the Conquest of England in 1066. Variants of the surname include Burgoin, Burgoyne, Burgon, Burgin, Burgwin and Bourgein. The surname is first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 (see below), while other early examples include: Simon Burgunie (Cambridgeshire, 1210); Adam de Burgoigne (London, 1319); Elizabeth de Burgon (Yorkshire, 1379); and John Burgin (1638). Robert, son of Richard Burgoine, was christened on September 2nd 1690, at Great Chesterford in Essex. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Walter Burgoin, which was dated 1086, in the Domesday Book of Devonshire, during the reign of King William 1, known as "The Conqueror", 1066 - 1087. 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.

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