The ancient Welsh Kingdom of Powis or Powys is the locational origin of this early surname, as shown below. There are a wide variety of spellings which includes such remote variants as Pauce, Puss, Poss, Powes, Puse, Pohse, Pause, Paus, although most of these are now apparently either very rare or totally extinct. The recording examples include the following, John Puse, whose son "Darkis" was christened at the church of St. Andrews, Holborn on August 3rd 1597, whilst on July 15th 1619, James Poes is recorded at the churches of St. Katherine by the Wardrobe, London. Henry Pews was christened at St. Andrews, Holborn on June 28th 1696, whilst Johanna Poss was also christened at St. Dunstans Church, Stepney on June 13th 1708. William Pauce was a witness at the Church of St. Andrew Undershaft, London on December 1st 1793, whilst Henry Rudolf Pues was christened at St. Mary Whitechapel, Stepney, on September 14th 1858. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Ernald De Powis, which was dated circa 1148, The Feudal Rolls of Herefordshire, during the reign of King Stephen, "Count of Blois", 1135 - 1154. 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.