This is a locational name of East Anglian origins which derives from a now apparently "lost" hamlet near Holt in North Norfolk. The original spelling would seem to have been "Gridel's Tun", an Old English compound which translates as "The Farm of one called Gridel". The name generally retains the spelling as Girdle-stone, but there are occasional variant spellings shown such as Edmund Gurd-Leston, recorded at Field Dalling church, Norfolk 1690 - 1694, and Elizabeth Girdleston who appears in the records of Sharrington in 1721. The name is early into London, Henry Gurdelston marrying Joannah Bushey at St. Dionis Backchurch in 1698, whilst Thomas Girdlestone (1758 - 1822) was a practising doctor in Great Yarmouth for 37 years, and also an Author and Publisher of note. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Richard Girdlestone, which was dated September 1st 1571, married at Kelling Church, Norfolk, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, "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.