This interesting and unusual surname, with variant forms Bordas, Bordes, Bordenca etc., derives from the Olde French "bord", a cognate of the Spanish "borde" (Italian "bordo"), meaning "border" or "edge", and was originally given as a topographical name to someone who lived at the edge of a village, or by some other boundary. Topographical surnames were among the earliest created, since both natural and man-made features in the landscape provided easily recognisable distinguishing names in the small communities of the Middle Ages. On March 22nd 1655, Magdalena Bordes and Juan Marques were married at Santa Marie, Matano, Barcelona, Spain, and on November 4th 1793 Salvatore Bordenca married Providenza Maggiordomo at Aragona, Agrigento, Italy. On January 3rd 1864 Mary Ann, daughter of Pietro and Mary Ann Bordessa, was christened in St. Andrew's, Holborn, London, and on June 27th 1922 the marriage of Beatrice Bordessa to Gennaro, Prince of the Two Sicilies, took place in London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Nicholas Borde which was dated 1230 - "The Pipe Rolls of Dorset", during the reign of King Henry 111, known as "The Frenchman", 1216 - 1272. 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.