This name is of Cornish locational origin from places thus called in the parishes of St. Allen and St. Michael, Penkivel. The first element derives from the Cornish "nans", a valley plus "carow", a deer, or "garow", rough, hence "the valley of the Deers", or "the Rough Valley". The surname is particularly well recorded in Cornish Church Registers from the mid 16th Century as Nanscarow, Nancarrowe, Nancarrow and Nancarre. On September 25th 1597 Syble Nancarrowe and Richard Stephens were married in St. Enoder's and on May 8th 1598 the birth of one, Vrias Nancarrow was recorded in St. Enoder's parish. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Nanscarow, son of Thomas Nanscarow, which was dated June 2nd 1545, christened at St. Columb Major, Cornwall, during the reign of King Henry VIII. Bluff 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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