This most interesting surname is a variant of Sim, which itself is of early medieval English origin, deriving from the Middle English personal name "Sim(me)", a diminutive form of "Simon". Simon comes from the Hebrew personal name "Simeon", derived from the verb "shama", to hearken, found in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, however, the name is found as Simon, partly as a result of association with the pre-existing Greek byname "Simon", from "simos", snub-nosed. Both Simeon and Simon were in use as personal names in Western Europe from the Middle Ages onwards. Variants of Sime in the modern idiom include Sim (Scotland), Simm (Lancashire and Northumberland) and Syme. One Sym Clark is recorded in the Church Register of Brechin in 1446. The surname is first recorded in the early 14th Century (see below), while John Symme is mentioned in 1345, in the Court Rolls of the borough of Colchester, and the Poll Tax Records of Yorkshire record one Robert Symmes in 1379. William Symes was christened on September 1st 1577, at Hitchin, Hertfordshire, while Elizabeth, daughter of John and Jennet Sime, was christened on October 4th 1784, at Pell Street, Stepney, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Ralph Simme, which was dated 1317, witness in the "Assize Court Rolls of Kent", during the reign of King Edward 11, known as "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.