Recorded in many forms including Spanton, Spenton, Spinton, Spaunton, and Sponton, this is a medieval English surname. It is locational and originates from the pre 7th century Olde English and Danish Viking elements 'spann' meaning shingle and either 'tun' meaning a vill;age or at least a cultivated area, or 'dun', a hill. The surname probably orginates from either the villages of Spaunton in North Yorkshire, Spondun in the Derbyshire, both of whom are recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, or possibly from some now totally lost medieval village of which the only surving reminder is the surname itself. As however it would seem that the surname is mainly concentrated in Yorkshire, thgis is probably the place of origin for most nameholders . The early recording and developments includes the following examples - Guilielmus Spaunton who christened at Whitby on January 7th 1672 and who married on June 20th 1718 at Hutton Bushel, York, whilst James Sponton was christened at Stokesley Church, Yorkshire on October 9th 1676. Perhaps the first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Elizabeth Spanton. This was dated November 25th 1578 when she was married at Gilling, near Helmsley, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1, known as 'Good Queen Bess', 1558 - 1603. 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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