This interesting surname of English origin is a locational name from a place called Talke in Staffordshire. The place is on a prominent ridge, of which Talke may have been the name, composed of the Welsh element "tal" meaning "forehead", "front" or "end", the second element being unclear. The suffix "s" means "of". The place name is recorded as Tale in the Domesday Book of 1086 and as Talk in the Charter Rolls of 1252. The surname dates back to the mid 18th Century (see below). Variations in the idiom of the spelling include Tolks, Tolkes, Tawles, etc.. Joseph, son of Edward and Alice Talks, was christened on January 20th 1793 at St. Dunstan in the East, London and Sarah, daughter of William and Phillis Talkes was christened at St. Sepulchre, London on December 1st 1805. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Elizabeth Tolkes, christened, which was dated 1744 - St. Andrew, Holborn, London, during the reign of King George 11, "The Last Warrior King", 1727 - 1760. 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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