This most interesting and unusual surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is an English locational name from either Twineham in Sussex, recorded as "Tuineam" circa 1087 in the "Placenames of Sussex", or Twinham, the old name of Christchurch in Hampshire, which appeared as "Tweoxneam" in 901 in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles and "Thuinam" in the Domesday Book of 1086. Both placenames derive from the same source, which is the Olde English pre 7th Century "betweon eam", meaning "(the place) between the streams". Locational names were originally given as a means of identification to those who left their village or place of origin to settle elsewhere. In the modern idiom the surname may be found as Twyman, Twynam, Twynham and Twinem. Early recordings of the surname include the christening of Amis Twynam, daughter of John Twynam, on November 11th 1564, at Fareham, Hampshire; the marriage of Helena Twinam and Johannes Collen on January 20th 1636 at Hambledon, Hampshire; and the christening of Sarah Jane Twiname on June 30th 1869 at St. Luke's, Westminster, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Twynam, which was dated May 1st 1559, christened at Fareham, in Hampshire, 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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