Recorded in several forms as shown below, this is an English surname. It derives from the pre 7th century personal name Golding, recorded as Goldinc in the famous Domesday Book of 1086. The development is from the original personal name "Golda", meaning "son of Gold". This persisted into the Middle Ages as a given name, with "Golde" as the feminine form, and was used in some cases as a nickname or byname for the colour of a person's hair whilst and names with "Gold" as the first element were usually compounds often associated with the Gods of Fire, Water and War. The modern surname can be found recorded as Gilden, Gilding, Golding, Goolding, Goulding and others. An early settler in the New World Colonies was one John Golding, who departed from London on the ship "Ann and Elizabeth" in April 1635, bound for the Barbados. Recordings from London Church Registers include: the christening of John Golding, in August 1582, at St. Margaret's Westminster, and the christening of Marye Gildinge, the daughter of Richard Gildinge, at St Botolphs without Aldgate, on February 4th 1598. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William Golding, which was dated 1202, witness in the "Assize Court Rolls of Lincolnshire", during the reign of King John, known as "Lackland", 1199 - 1216. 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.