There are two possible origins for this name both are Olde English, the first being from 'wine', a personal name of the pre 7th century and meaning 'The Friend'. The second is as a variant spelling of the Olde 'Welsh' 'Gwyn' meaning 'The fair skinned one'. Both variants are today considered 'Welsh', but the earliest recordings are all English, Welsh hereditary surnames are not generally found before the 15th century. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Osketel Wyn which was dated 1199, The Pipe Rolls of Suffolk during the reign of King Richard I, The Lionheart, 1189 - 1199 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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