This unusual and interesting name is of Scandinavian origin and is locational from various places so called in Durham, for example; Bishop Auckland, (which belonged to the Bishop of Durham) Auckland St. Andrew and St. Helen, and West Auckland. The earliest recording of this placename appears in the "History of St. Cuthbert" of circa 1050, as "Alclit", in the Feet of Fines of 1202, as "Auclent", and as "Aucland" in "The Valuation of Norwich" of 1254 Auckland was possibly a development of "Alclyde" the old name for Dumbarton, which means the clift on the Clyde, from the Old British form, "Alcluith" (circa 730), but the name was later associated with the Scandinavian "Aukland", meaning additional land. Recorded in Staindrop, Durham, is the marriage between James Aukland and Alice Longstraffe on September 26th 1687. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Marg Aukland (marriage to William Semer), which was dated October 3rd 1657, Chester le Street, Durham, during the reign of Oliver Cromwell, "The Great Protector", 1649 - 1658. 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.