This interesting and unusual surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is the patronymic (son of) form of the English given name Cuthbert, which is a derivation of the Middle English "Cudbert", Olde English pre 7th Century "Cuth beorht", composed of the elements "cuth", meaning famous or well known, and "beorht", bright. The name was borne by a 7th Century saint, who was Bishop of Hexham, and later of Lindisfarne, and remained popular because of his cult throughout the Middle Ages, especially in Northern England and the low lands of Scotland. The following entry is taken from the Indexes and Patent Rolls of the Public Records Office, and relate to Proclamations, Commissions and Grants in America, "commission to John Cutts, and others, for governing the Colony of New Hampshire, in America, circa 1650. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Cut, which was dated 1185, in the "Pipe Rolls of Herefordshire", during the reign of King Henry 11, known as "The Builder of Churches", 1154 - 1189. 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.