This interesting surname of medieval origin with variant spellings Wellbelove, Welbelove, Welbeloved, etc., is a nickname for a person who was dearly loved by all. The creation of nicknames from surnames was a common practice in the Middle Ages and many modern-day surnames derive from medieval nicknames referring to personal characteristics, as in this instance the "beloved". The surname dates back to the early 14th Century (see below). Further recordings include Thomas Welebeloved (1463), the Close Rolls of London. John Welbelovyed of Feltham and Johanna Farr of Ashford were married in London in 1527, and Hugh Welbeloved, a yeoman, married Anne Hyne of Feltham, also in London, in 1596. David Wellbeloved was christened at Christ Church, Southwark, on April 2nd 1682. Among the notable namebearers in the "Dictionary of National Biography" is one Charles Wellbeloved (1769 - 1858), who was a unitarian divine and archaeologist. He was a divine professor in Manchester College, York, and he published papers on antiquities of York city (1804 - 1852), and annotations on books of the Old Testament (1819 - 1862). The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Richard Wellbyloved, which was dated 1327, in the "Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire", 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.