This interesting name, widespread in England and Wales, is a patronymic form of the early medieval English name "Sander" a popular abbreviation of Alexander from the Greek "Alexandros", defender of men; hence one gets "Sanderson", the son of Sander. Sandre (without surname) appears in the records of Abbey of Beck (Oxfordshire, 1248) and in the Hundred Rolls (1273). Earliest recordings of the name Saunderson date from the mid 14th Century (see below). Other entries include Johannes Sanderison, who was witness to Kyncardyn in 1434 according to the Highland papers, John Sanderson bought the Temple lands of Lethindy in 1472. William Sanderissone and Vmfra Sanderissone were summoned in 1479 to answer parliament for treason according to the Acts of Scotland 1124 - 1707. Thomas Sandersone was burgess of Linlithgow, as the Calender of the Laing Charters 854 - 1837 informs us. A Coat of Arms granted to a family of the name from Kent is described thus: "Paly of six silver and blue a black bend". The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Adam Saunderson, which was dated 1249, in "London Pleas Records", during the reign of King Edward 111, known as "The Father of the Navy", 1327 - 1377. 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.