Recorded in many forsm as shown below, this surname is of Anglo-Saxon (Germanic) and Norman-French pre 10th century origins. It derives from the personal name word "Gazo or Wazo", a development of wado, meaning "to go". Originally it was a baptismal name of some popularity, and this is confirmed by the number of later surnames which are believed to include Wais, Waison, Way, Wayson, Gaish, Gaison, Gass, Gasson, Gauze, Gaze, Geys, Guess and Guise, although it is possible that at least the latter two spellings originate from the town of Guise in France. The name is recorded as "Gazo" in the Domesday Book of 1086, and later surname recordings include John Gace of Hampshire in the year 1230 , John Gasce in the London Pipe Rolls of the same date. Late medieval church registers list the christenings of John, son of Robert Gaze, on June 8th 1595 at St. Lawrence Jewry, John Guess at St Botolphs without Aldgate on July 21st 1676, both city of London, and Marie Magdelene Gaze, on November 21st 1689, at Pagny-sur-Moselle, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was sometimes 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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