This interesting surname is derived from the Old French "faun", "foun", Middle English "faun", "foun" meaning "a young animal, cub", or "a young fallow deer". It was probably used to describe a lively youth. The surname dates back to the late 12th Century, (see below). Further recordings include one Richard le Foun (1299) witness, "The Assize Rolls of Staffordshire", and Robert Faun (1390), "The Calendar of Letter Books of the city of London". Variations in the idiom of the spelling include Foon, Fone, Foane, etc.. Gavin Foane was christened at St. Margaret, Westminster, in March 1598. William Foane married Elizabeth Cole on July 22nd 1627, at St. Gregory by St. Paul, London, and Charles, son of William and Sophia Foan, was christened at St. John the Evangelist, lambeth Harriet, daughter of James and Ann Foan, was christened on March 11th 1835, also at St. John the Evangelist, Lambeth. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Foun, which was dated 1180, The Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire, during the reign of King Henry 11, "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.

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