This very interesting name is of Dutch-Flemish origins and is locational from the town of Behault on the borders of the Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg. There are no less than ten Coats of Arms granted by the different states, and it is understood that certain holders of the name fled to England as Huguenot refugees after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, (which protected the Protestants), in 1685. The refugee names retained their original pronunciation but were usually 'anglicized' in spelling over the following two hundred years. The name 'Behault' is recorded for Mons, Hainault and the state of Holland, an area of War and chaos throughout the 17th Century. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Johannes de Behault. which was dated C. 1680, Hainault, The Netherlands. during the reign of King William III of Orange, 1650 - 1704. 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.