This most interesting surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is a Scottish locational name from Eaglesham, a parish and village near Glasgow, which was also an old barony. The placename itself is composed of the Olde English pre 7th Century personal name "Ecgwulf", ("Ecgel") meaning sword-wolf, and the Olde English element "ham", village, homestead, one of the most common elements found in English placenames. During the Middle Ages when migration for the purpose of job-seeking was becoming more common, people often took their former village name as a means of identification, thus resulting in a wide dispersal of the name. Early recordings of the surname include one Barthelmeu de Egglesham, chapelyn, who was warden of the New Place of Seneward (Sangular) in Dumfries in 1296 (Calendar of Documents relating to Scotland), and a William de Eglisham, rector of the Church of Dunbarny in 1300, who reappears as William de Egglisham, archdeacon of Lothian in 1316. Magister George Eglischane was physician to King James V1 in 1616. Robert Eaglesham was christened on January 12th 1794 at Paisley, Renfew. A Coat of Arms was granted to an Eaglesham family in Scotland and depicts a red chevron between three black eagles, with a black bordure on a silver shield. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Dominus Robertus de Heiglssam, chaplain, which was dated 1239, "The Register of the Monastery of Paisley", during the reign of King Alexander 11, "Ruler of Scotland", 1214-1249. 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.