This interesting surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is a locational name from either of two places so called in Lincolnshire, and Staffordshire. The derivation is from an Old English pre 7th Century personal name "Bucca", with "halh", a remote valley. The earliest recording of Bucknall in Lincolnshire is in the Saxon Charters of 806 and appears as "Bokenhale" and later in the Domesday Book of 1086, as "Buchehale", whereas Bucknall in Somerset appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Bucenhole", in 1227 as "Buccenhal", in Somerset appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Bucenhole", in 1227 as "Buccenhal", and in the Pipe Rolls of 1230 as Bukenhal. In the modern idiom the surname has many variants including Bucknell, Bucknill and Bucknall. Among the early recordings in Lincolnshire are the christening of Robert Bucknall on the September 19th 1560, and of Lawrence Bucknall on November 8th 1562, both at Fiskerton. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Bucknall, which was dated February 3rd 1559, christened at Mucklestone, Staffordshire, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1, known as "Good Queen Bess", 1558 - 1603. 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.

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