Recorded in sveral forms including Mallin, Malkin, and the patronymics Malkinson and Mallinson, this is an English surname. Of medieval origins it derives from a female given name first recorded as "Malkyn" in 1297. This was a diminutive form of Malle, itself a nickname form of Mary. To Malle has been added the diminutive suffix of "-kyn, -kin or just -in, all having rh basic meaning of "Little Mary" or more likely "son of Mary". The latter was an extremely popular female given name, being the claimed name of the mother of Christ in the New Testament, and given great prominence during the period of the Christian revival and the Crusades to "free" the Holy Land in the 11th and 12th centuries a.d.. The original name is thought to have been derived from the Aramaic "Maryan", translating as the "wished-for-child", but others claim that it means "the star of the sea". What is certain is that a great number and variety of other personal surnames have been generated from Mary, the total being estimated at over one hundred different forms thoughout Europe. Early examples of the surname recording include John Mallynssone of Yorkshire in the Patent Rolls of 1317, Walter Malkinsone of Sussex in the tax Subsidy Rolls of that county in 1327, and the marriage of Francis Malkin to Agnes Donne at the church of St. Gregory's by St. Paul's, city of London, on December 19th 1609. The first recorded spelling of the family name is believed to be that of John Malekin. This was dated 1284, in the Court Rolls of the Abbey of Ramsey, Huntingdonshire, during the reign of King Edward Ist of England. he was traditionally known as "The Hammer of the Scots" and reigned 1272 - 1307. Throughout the centuries surnames in every country have continued to "develop", often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.