This interesting surname of English origin is a patronymic of the pet name Kit, itself coming from the female Greek given name "Katharos" meaning "pure" or "clean", or from the medieval given name Christopher meaning "Bearer of Christ", which derives from the Greek "Khristas" "Christ", plus "phor" "carry". The surname dates back to the mid 14th Century, (see below). Further recordings include one Thomas Kytson (1357) "The Estates of Crowland Abbey, Cambridgeshire", and Thomas Ketson (1379) "The Poll Tax Records of Yorkshire". Variations in the idiom of the spelling include Kidson, Kytson, Kittson, etc.. Frances Kytson was christened on September 2nd 1562, at St. Gregory by St. Paul, London. Anthony Kitson married Mary Wood on February 26th 1570, at St. Thomas the Apostle, London, and Elisabeth Kitson married Robert Wilson on February 13th 1585, at St. Antholin Budge Row, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William Kittesson, which was dated 1340, in the "Estates of Crowland Abbey, Cambridgeshire", 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.