This interesting name is derived from the Olde Welsh "bach" meaning "little" and was originally given as a nickname or a term of endearment to a short man or young fellow. The surname is first recorded towards the end of the 14th Century. The three name bearers Madog, Jeron and Lloit Bach coming from Wales and its border counties In 1450 one, Geoffrey Bagh is recorded in "The Merchants' Guild of Shrewsbury" (Shropshire). A Rychard Bawgh appears in "The Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire" (1545). In the modern idiom, the name is spelt Baugh. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Madog Bach. which was dated 1391 - "The Extent of Chirkland" (Wales) by C.P.Jones. during the reign of King Richard II, Richard of Bordeaux 1277 - 1399. 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.