This very interesting name is an "Anglicized" variant spelling of the Huguenot surname "Cardinaux" first recorded in England in the early 18th Century. The name itself is found in the early French medieval register and is a "nickname" derived from "cardinal", and describes a person who dressed in red or who played the part of a cardinal or church dignitary in the medieval pageant plays. Just occasionally the name may have derived from the French "Cardoux", probably a job descriptive word for one who carded wool. The same term is used in England, but no surnames are known to derive from this source. Recordings include Alexander Cardno of Whitby, Yorkshire on December 21st 1762, Mary Cardno of Deptford, London on April 19th 1809, and Peter Cardno of Huddersfield, Yorkshire on January 17th 1847. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Francis Louis Cardinaux, which was dated September 25th 1720, a witness at "The Artillery", French Huguenot Church, London, during the reign of King George 1, "Hanover George", 1715 - 1727. 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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