The recordings of this name are very rare and do not apparently appear in England before the early 17th Century. The name is almost certainly an anglicization of the Flemish - German 'Diericx or Dierkes', recorded heraldically in Riestaffs Armourial General for the continent. The name would seem to have originally been locational from places called 'diricx or Dieryck', near Bruges. The place names developing from the German 'Thiudoricus' - people ruler of the pre 7th Century. The name development includes Nathaniel Derge christened at St. Andrews Church, Holborn London on March 20th 1637, and his brother Edward christened at the same church on June 21st 1640. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Anne Derge (infant), which was dated 1604, christened at St. Mary Somerset Church, London, during the reign of King James I of England and VI of Scotland 1603 - 1625. 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.