The personal name of endearment "Lamb" is the shortened form of the original "Lambert" - an Anglo-Saxon name which derives from the elements "Land" which does mean Land and "Beorht" - bright. In the case of this surname, the suffix's "kin or ing" have been added to provide a form of patronymic "son of Lamb". There are several "modern" forms of the name, examples and recordings of the development include Edward Lampkinge baptised at Holy Trinity, London on July 3rd 1555, Anthony Lamking (1613, Westminster), Henry Lamkin (1600, London) whilst Rogerus Lambkin married Hannah Bowen on September 29th 1649 at St. Martins in the Field, Westminster. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Nicholas Lambekyn, which was dated 1301, The Pipe Rolls of County Yorkshire, during the reign of King Edward I, The Hammer of the Scots, 1272 - 1307. 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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