This name is of English locational origin from a place in the parish of Wigan, Lancashire, called Markland. The name derives from the Olde English pre 7th Century "mearc" meaning a boundary (between two districts), plus "lanu", a lane, hence, "Boundary Lane". The surname from this source is first recorded in the mid 16th Century, (see below). On January 24th 1563 Henry Markland, an infant was christened in Standish. The variant spellings Martland first appears in Croston Parish Registers. On February 28th 1575 Edward Martland and Elizabeth Ashton were married in Croston and on February 15th, 1582 Custance Martland, an infant was christened there. The earliest recording of the name in London is the christening of Hannah, daughter of Rober Martland, which took place in "All Hallows", London Wall on April 19th 1674. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Margaret Markland, which was dated August 4th 1541, christened in Middleton by Oldham, Lancashire, during the reign of King Henry VIII, Bluff King Hal, 1509 - 1547. 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.