This interesting and unusual name is a dialectal variant of the names "Woollan", "Woolon(s)" or "Wool(l)en", names of minor places derived from the Old English pre-seventh Century words "woh", curved, crooked plus the second element "land", land, hence the name may have been given to a dweller by curved or crooked lands". The surname itself is found widespread in Yorkshire. One Ann Wollan was christened at Royston Yorkshire on September 5th 1585, while on November 9th 1591, Jeffray Wollm or Wolling married Frauces Dyckson at Rotherham in Yorkshire. Also at Rotherham, Ralph Wollin married Margaret Woodruff on December 2nd 1600, and Anne Shawe married Geoffrey Woolen there on December 26th 1607. At St. Peter's Cathedral Sheffield, William, son of Matthew Woollin was christened on February 16th 1768, while on June 11th 1770, a William Woolin married Frances Mason also at St. Peter's. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Agnes Woolline, married Robert Lee, which was dated April 4th 1581, at Rotherham, Yorkshire, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1, "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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