This interesting and very unusual name is probably a variant of "Etchells", a place in Cheshire which was recorded as "Echelis" in 1248 (Inquisitons Miscellaneous) and "Echeles" in 1286 (County Court, City Court and Eyre Rolls of Chester), which was composed of the Old English pre seventh word "ecels", meaning "addition", from "(i)ecan", to increase, add to. Thus the name means "land added to a village or an estate". The surname first appears in records in the late 16th Century, (see below). The Cheshire Church Registers record the marriage of one Emma Etchoes to Roberte Byrchanhanghe at Prestbury, Elizabeth Etchoes married John Waynewrighte on January 28th 1580. The earliest recording of the name in London Church Registers is the marriage of John Each to Avis Bennett on January 11th 1584, at St. Dunstan, Stepney. Jeffray Eaches married Elizabeth Smith on September 12th 1602, at Longford, Derbyshire. Elizabeth Smith on September 12th 1602 at Longford, Derbyshire. Elizabeth, daughter of Richard and Sarah Etches was christened at St. Botolph without Aldergate, London on February 14th 1649. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Peter Etchoes, married Ellen Kyrcke, which was dated May 15th 1574, at Prestbury, Cheshire, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1, "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.