This name derives from the Medieval English 'poke' itself coming from the Olde English pre 7th century 'pohha' meaning a 'purse' or a 'bag' and is a metonymic occupational name for a 'maker of bags and purses'. The surname from this source is first recorded in the early 14th century. A synonym Poghwebbesone i.e. 'son of Poughwebbe' the weaver of bags, appears in the 1306 'Assize Court Rolls of Staffordshire'. In the modern idiom the name has four spelling variations: Poke, Pouch, Poucher and Pougher. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Ithel (le) Poker, which was dated 1314 The Assize Court Rolls of Staffordshire, during the reign of King Edward II, Edward of Caernafon 1307-1327. 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.