This is an English surname whose origins are buried in antiquity. Recorded as Marven, Marvin, Mervyn, Mirfin and Murfin, it is derived probably from the Anglo Saxon pre 7th century personal name "Maerwine" meaning Famous-Friend, although as shown below, the Bretons of Brittany also make some claim. If Olde English, it is a rare survivor of the post Norman period after the Invasion of 1066, when such "English" names tendered to be politically incorrect, and all things French were the norm. However ongoing research suggests that the Breton influence through the name Merlin has contributed towards its survival, since the Bretons also claimed kinship with the famous King Arthur of the 5th century a.d., and in addition many Bretons werer members of Duke William of Normadys conquering army. The first recorded spelling of the family name may be that of Matilda Marwyn. This was dated 1273, in the Hundred Rolls of Hampshire, during the reign of King Edward Ist of England, known as "The Hammer of the Scots", 1272 - 1307 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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