This rare and unusual surname is of Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse origin, and is locational from a place called Killingbeck, in the North Riding of Yorkshire. The first element is thought to be derived from an Old Norse personal name "Killing", of uncertain etymology: however, it could also be derived from the Olde English pre 7th Century personal name "Cylla", also of uncertain origin, and "ing", meaning "people of". The second element is derived from the Northern Middle English (1200 - 1500) "bekke", stream, from the Old Norse "bekkr", hence "the stream of Killing's people", or "the stream of Cylla's people". Locational surnames were developed when former inhabitants of a place moved to another area, usually to seek work, and were best identified by the name of their birthplace. The surname Killingbeck is well recorded in Yorkshire, and also in the neighbouring counties of Lancashire and Lincolnshire, while Killingback is very rare. Recorded in Yorkshire Church Registers are the marriage of Anna Killyngbeck to Richard Best on July 2nd 1559 at Halifax, and the christening of Elizabeth, daughter of William Killingback, on May 5th 1805 at St. Peter's, Leeds. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Elizabeth Killyngback, which was dated February 14th 1528, marriage to Thomas Sutcliffe, at Leeds, Yorkshire, during the reign of King Henry V111, knonw as "Good King Hal", 1509 - 1547. 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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