This interesting surname is of early medieval English origin, and is a metonymic occupational name for a carter, a driver of a wain or waggon, and sometimes for a waggon-builder. The derivation is from the Olde English pre 7th Century "waegn", "waegen", Middle English "wain", a cart or waggon. Job descriptive surnames originally denoted the actual occupation of the namebearer, and later became hereditary. In some cases, the surname may derive from a topographical name, used to denote residence at a house distinguished with the sign of the "Wain", probably from the constellation of the Plough, known in the Middle Ages as "Charles's Wain", the reference being to Charlemagne. The surname is first recorded in the early half of the 14th Century (see below), and can also be found as Wain, Waine, Waines and Wayne. Richard Wayn is noted in the Calendar of Plea and Memoranda Rolls of the City of London (1386). Recordings of the surname from London Church Registers include: the marriage of Mary Wane and Thomas Stratton on November 8th 1619 at St. Mary at Hill; the marriage of John Wane and Katherine Hadden on May 18th 1645, at St. Vedast Foster Lane; and the christening of Charles, son of William Wane, on January 23rd 1647, at St. Olave's, Southwark. The Coat of Arms most associated with the family is a red shield with an ermine chevron between three gold dexter gauntlets, the Crest being a gold pelican feeding her young, collared red, on the body an ermine spot, blue nest. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Wayn, which was dated 1319, in the "Feet of Fines of Essex", during the reign of King Edward 1, known as "Edward of Caernafon", 1307 - 1327. 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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