This unusual surname is of early medieval English origin. It derives from a female given name first recorded as "Malkyn" in 1297, a diminutive form of "Malle", itself a nickname form of "Mary". To Malle has been added the diminutive suffix "kyn or kin", meaning "close relative of". "Mary" was an extremely popular medieval female given name, being the claimed name of the mother of Christ in the New Testament. 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". It was probably introduced into England by the Norman invaders of 1066. What is certain is that a great number and variety of other personal surnames have been generated from Mary, and in this case Malkin can also be found as Maulkin. An early example of the surname recording in a surviving register of the 17th century is that showing 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.

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