Recorded in several forms including Pallan, Pallans, Palin, Pallin, Paling, Pelling and possibly others, this unusual surname is generally considered to be of Olde English and Welsh origins. If so it derives from the personal name "Heilyn", originally a byname or nickname meaning the wine bearer, probably literally a wine merchant. The modern forms of the surname show the contracted patronymic prefix "ap", meaning "son of" and equivalent to the Scottish or Irish "Mac", fused with Heilyn. There was a notable bearer of the name in the 13th century, one Goronwy ap Heilyn who was ambassador to Llywelyn 11 of Wales in circa 1280. Early recordings of the surname from the London church registers include: Thomas Palin who married Elizabeth Woodward on September 5th 1619, at the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Westminster; Anne Pallin who married Andrew Seaton at St Mary Woolchurdh on November 5th 1650, and later Agness Pallan who married James Brown at St Marks Kennington, on September 5th 1831. A very early example showing the vagueness of spelling is that of Joan Palyne. This was dated January 19th 1551, when she married Robert Marchall, at St. Andrew's, Enfield, Middlesex. This was during the reign of King Edward V1, known as "The Boy King", 1547 - 1553. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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